Moroccan cuisine is one of the richest of the world.

Most dishes (like Tajine and Couscous) are Berber origin, but the Arabs added a lot of new elements. Later the European, specially the French influence was very strong.

In the big cities you are offered Moroccan and French cuisine, in small towns you will rather only find traditional Moroccan food.

  

Bei Familien Essen

Wenn Sie zu einer Mahlzeit im Kreise der Familie eingeladen sind, waschen Sie sich zuerst symbolisch in der Wasserkanne die Hände. Die Mahlzeit beginnt, nachdem der Hausherr das "bismillah", eine Lobrede an Gott, gesprochen hat. Essen Sie mit der rechten Hand; probieren Sie von allem. Aber fühlen Sie sich nicht verpflichtet, alles zu essen, was sich auf Ihrem Teller befindet- das ist im allgemeinen unmöglich!

These are some of the most important dishes : 

Soups and starters:

Harira : thick soup, which always differ a bit, depending where you eat it. Generally it contains lamb, lentils, tomatoes, chick peas, onion, garlic and fresh spices. Harira is always served with bread, sometimes they add dates, honey cakes or eggs.

Salad : Normally there is a choice of salad with several vegetables. Traditional Moroccan salad includes finely diced green peppers, tomatoes and garlic. It is very refreshing.

Main Dishes

Couscous is traditionally made of coarsely ground wheat, but today, more and more it consists of rolled grains of semolina pasta. Couscous can be served with vegetables only, with meat and vegetables or sweet with dry raisins, onions, usually chicken, sugar and cinnamon. 
The preparation of a good Couscous takes hours and so the best one maybe is the home-cooked.
Usually, with couscous you drink “Leben” a kind of buttermilk.

Tajine

A Tajine is named after the pat it is cooked in a round shallow earthenware dish with a tall conical lid.
Normally it is a slow-cooked stew of vegetables and meat, chicken or fish. It is flavored with fresh herbs and spices. You will also find Tajines with eggs or sea fruits. It is maybe the most important Moroccan dish and some say there are more than 200varities.

Mechoui

Usually it is whole lamb roasted in the open air. The meat is delicious.

Pastilla

Pastilla is a fine pastry, filled with a mixture of pigeon meat, lemon-flavoured eggs, almonds, saffron and sugar.
It is maybe the most fabulous Moroccan dish.
There are more simple (and cheaper) varieties, which are filled with chicken.

Brochettes

Brochettes are pieces of meat on a skewer, which are barbecued over hot coal. Usually they are served with bread and Moroccan salad.

Desserts and Pastries

Desserts usually consist of fresh fruit or a yoghurt.

Moroccan pastry is one of the best of the world. Typical Moroccan specialties are for example Kaab el ghazal (gazelle’s borns), crescent-shaped pastries stuffed with almond paste or m’hancha (coiled serpent cake), a flat round of baked almond-stuffed pastry coated with icing sugar and cinnamon.

As the French influence is very strong, you will also find a huge variety of French pastries.