What to eat in Tangier: 10 Moroccan dishes to try

Moroccan food is generous, fragrant and full of contrasts, and Tangier adds its own twist, with seafood from two seas and a hint of Spain. Here is what to look out for.

1. Tagine

Slow-cooked stews named after the cone-lidded clay pot they are cooked in. Try chicken with preserved lemon and olives, beef with prunes, or kefta meatballs with egg.

2. Couscous

Traditionally eaten on Fridays after midday prayers, steamed semolina topped with vegetables and meat in a rich broth.

3. Harira

A hearty tomato, lentil and chickpea soup, eaten all year and especially to break the fast during Ramadan.

4. Bissara

A thick soup of dried fava beans, finished with olive oil, cumin and paprika. A classic cheap and warming breakfast in the north.

5. Kalinte

A soft, baked chickpea-flour snack sold by street vendors, a Tangier favourite with roots in Spanish calentita.

6. Msemen and baghrir

Flaky square pancakes and spongy semolina pancakes, served with honey, butter or soft cheese for breakfast.

7. Fresh fish and seafood

With the Atlantic and the Mediterranean on its doorstep, Tangier is a great place for grilled fish, fried calamari and fish tagines.

8. Pastilla

A sweet and savoury pie of thin pastry filled with chicken or seafood, almonds and spices, dusted with sugar and cinnamon.

9. Mint tea

Green tea brewed with fresh mint and plenty of sugar, poured from a height and served all day. The perfect excuse to stop at Café Hafa.

10. Moroccan pastries

Almond-filled gazelle horns, honey-soaked chebakia and countless other sweets fill the windows of Tangier’s bakeries.

Tips for eating out

• Bread is served with almost every meal and is used to scoop up food.
• It is polite to eat with your right hand when sharing from a common dish.
• During Ramadan, look out for the evening iftar meal, when the city comes alive.