The colors and flavors of Morocco

After spending almost two weeks in southern Morocco, the best word to describe the region is giving. The people are the kindest and most giving I have ever met. The architecture and decorations give feelings of awe. And last but not least, the food gives flavor and looks. Each plate that I was served, whether in the deserts of the Sahara, in the mountain peaks of the Atlas mountains, or on a rooftop restaurant in the medina of Marrakech, was packed full of flavor and was presented like a piece of art. Even the table bread, Khobz, was generally served in picture-perfect wicker baskets.

For the first five days in Morocco, I traveled around southern Morocco, primarily eating at typical tourist restaurants. My fantastic guide, Yahya, explained that many tours stick to tourist restaurants as travelers are less likely to pick up any illness from there. Below are many of the foods we routinely saw on these menus and that you will likely see throughout your travels in Morocco. While the local restaurants differ, they appear to serve many of the same essential foods, including khobz and tagine. If you feel extra adventurous, you can do as the locals and buy your meat at the market and then prepare it at the restaurant.

It is crucial to remember that food preparation varies significantly between each chef and is said to be different in northern Morocco versus southern Morocco. Nonetheless, here is a list of the foods I routinely saw throughout my travels through southern Morocco.

* Please keep in mind that these are all estimates.

Served throughout the day:

Khobz bread: Round, white bread, served with almost all meals. At lunch and dinner, it is generally served pre-cut into 1/4 peices.

* The serving size is 1/4 a Kohbz

Calories: 72

Total Fat: 1.25g

Total Cabohydrates: 13g

Protien: 2 g

Orange juice: While this is a common tourist purchase in the Jemaa El-Fnaa

Square, it can also be served during any meal of the day.

* The serving size is 1 cup

Calories: 122

Total Fat: 0.5g

Total Cabohydrates: 25g

Protien: 2 g

Mint tea: Probably the most iconic Moroccan food, this swet and delisious tea is served at all times of the day. It generaly includes varying levels of gunpowder tea, mint leaves, and sugar. While it sometimes come pre-sweetened, it also sometimes come with the sugar cube on the side so that you can contrl the level of sweetness. Most of the calories and macros come from the sugar cube, so a good rule of thumb is follow is that each cup is equivilant to about 1 sugar cube.

* The serving size is 1 sugar cube

Calories: 9

Total Fat: 0g

Total Cabohydrates: 3g

Protien: 0g

Breakfast:

Breakfast at hotels usually consists of hard boiled eggs, bread, pasties, yogurt, orange juice, and Msemmen bread.

Msemmen Melwi bread: Also known as the moroccan pancake! This oily fried, flaky pastry is absolutly delicious with some butter and jam in the morning.

* The serving size is 1/4 a Kohbz

Calories: 264

Total Fat: 10.4g

Total Cabohydrates: 39.2g

Protien: 4 g

Lunch/Dinner:

Tagine: The tagine. The crossiant of Paris, the pad thai of Thailand. It is the go to food of Morocco. Tagine itself is not the food, but technically how the food is prepared. The teepee- shaped cone that the meal is cooked and served in is known as the tagine.

-For beef tagine:

* The serving size is 1 tagine

Calories: 548

Total Fat: 19.6g Total Cabohydrates:48 Protien: 46g

-For Chicken tagine:

* The serving size is 1 tagine

Calories: 331

Total Fat: 16g

Total Cabohydrates: 33g

Protien: 58g

-For lamb tagine:

* The serving size is 1 tagine

Calories: 343

Total Fat: 9g

Total Cabohydrates:40

Protien: 28g

-For vegetarian tagine:

* The serving size is 1 tagine

Calories: 270

Total Fat: 8g

Total Cabohydrates: 30

Protien: 12 g

Desserts/Snacks:

Melon: A common dessert during the summer months in Morocco. Secificlaly honeydew melon and watermelon are served as dessrt ater a meal.

* The serving size is 1 1/8 slices of honeydew melon

Calories: 58 Total Fat: 0.3g Total Cabohydrates:15 Protien: 0.9g

* The serving size is 1 1/16 slices of watermelon

Calories: 86

Total Fat: 0.4g

Total Cabohydrates:22

Protien: 1.7g

• Dates: This sweet snack can be bought through vendors in the Jemaa El-Finaa square or off of moving carts. I have found the carts to be more difficult to find but also cheaper than the vendors.

* The serving size is 2 medjool dates

Calories: 133

Total Fat: 0g

Total Cabohydrates: 36g

Protien: .8 g

*Disclaimer: Nuitrional infomration is based on estimates and will vary depending on ingrediants.

Find the Morocco Nutritional Cheat Sheet here.

.