Morocco Menu Decoder
| General Terms | Popular Dishes |
|---|---|
| l'ftour breakfast l'ghda lunch l'asha dinner, evening meal diffa feast or banquet garçon or sarbay/sarbaya waiter/waitress menu or la'iha menu l'hsab the bill l'maa water forshita fork ma'alqa spoon mouss knife mendeel napkin kaas cup bezzaf a lot shwiyah a little bsh-haal for how much? shokran thank you la shokran no thank you 'afak please na'am, yeih yes |
harira a hearty, tomato-based lentil and chickpea soup, traditionally seasoned with aromatic spices; some non-vegetarian versions include meat chunks bastila/pastille/b'stille layers of warqa (phyllo-like dough) filled with shredded fowl and boiled eggs mixed with herbs, saffron, cinnamon, sugar, and almonds; modern versions may substitute seafood for the fowl; can also be served as a dessert, filled with cinnamon, toasted nuts, and fresh cream kusksu t'faya couscous topped with raisins and onions caramelized in sugar, cinnamon, and cloves kusksu beidawy/beidaoui couscous topped with at least seven vegetables simmered in saffron and ginger, and garnished with raisins and caramelized onions; literally means "couscous of Casablanca" tagine l'ghenmi bil barquq wa luz tagine of lamb stewed with prunes and almonds mechoui/meshwy a style of slow-roasting meat, usually lamb, but sometimes beef—and the term for the dish itself kafta bil metisha herbed lamb meatballs stewed in a rich tomato sauce d'jaj bil hamd mrakad chicken with preserved lemons merguez spicy lamb or beef sausage brochette, kotban kebobs or skewered chunks of spiced meat, usually lamb or chicken, or skewered lamb or beef meatballs bessara fava beans, or sometimes chickpeas, pureed with cumin, garlic, and olive oil; a main dish of the poor zaalouk eggplant salad shlada/chlada dial felfla grilled-pepper salad shlada/chlada dial khizzou carrot salad |
| Other Food Items | Staples | Drinks and Dessert |
|---|---|---|
| tagine both the name of the meat/vegetarian stews and of the earthenware pots in which the stews are prepared; pots are characterized by conical lids that help seal in moisture and flavor tangia both the meat stew and the earthenware vessel in which it is prepared; the meat is baked or steamed in the tangia for several hours sharmoula/charmoula a sauce of garlic, lemon juice, cumin, cilantro, and olive oil harissa a Tunisian hot sauce of chili peppers, mixed spices, garlic, and olive oil often stirred into soups and stews; the Moroccan version is commonly called felfla haara (hot pepper) and is served ONLY on the side waraka/ouaraka a thin dough, similar to phyllo dough; literally means "paper"; layers of it are used to make b'stille and other pastries and appetizers briwat/briouat a deep-fried or baked pastry with savory or sweet fillings maaqouda croquettes smen aged butter, used to flavor many tagines and stews kemia an array of tapas-like appetizers, usually served only in bars shlayed plural of shlada, which means "salads"; colloquial Moroccan for "salad appetizers" m'qalli any dish whose liquids have been simmered and reduced; literally means "reduction"; not to be confused with maqli, which means sautéed or fried bibouch, l'escargot snails |
khobz general term for bread kesra a leavened bread, common in cities khbza/khobeiza a flatbread/a small flatbread kusksu (Moroccan Arabic) or seksu (Berber) couscous l'hamd mrakad preserved lemons zitoon olives zeit zitoon olive oil l'adis lentils foul fava or broad beans hummos chickpeas tmar dates luz almonds lehem ghenmi, ghenmi lamb djaj chicken khodaar vegetables s'kar sugar fromage or jibn cheese l'hoot fish lehem begri, begeri beef |
atay black tea atay bil na-na black tea with mint (a very liberal serving of sugar is standard) atay bil 'ashoob black tea with herbs 'aseer limoon orange juice qahwa coffee; also, coffee shop h'leeb milk beera beer shrab alcoholic beverage désser dessert tmar ma'amar bil luz methoon dates stuffed with almond/orange-blossom paste briwat bil luz deep-fried or baked pastries stuffed with almond/orange-blossom paste and drizzled with honey ka'ab ghazal gazelle horns—crescent-shaped cookies made with almond/orange-blossom paste ghreiba shortening-based cookies shebbakiya a baked, coiled pastry stuffed with almond, cinnamon, and orange-blossom paste and drizzled with honey; commonly served during Ramadan sffa sweet couscous with cinnamon, dried fruits, and nuts fawakeh fruits la glace, crème glaçée ice cream limoon bil karfa oranges with cinnamon |
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