Travelling as a strict vegetarian comes with a lot of compromise. Some regions are so meat-heavy that you can forget about sampling the local cuisine.

But not in Morocco! This country is a low-key vegetarian paradise and I can’t recommend it enough! Read below about the meat-free delicacies you can find there.

Tagine

Also spelled tajine, the name stands for the dish itself as well as the pot it is cooked and served in. It’s one of the signature dishes not only in Morocco, but in the Maghreb region. Although meaty by default (usually with chicken or lamb), vegetarian variants are just as easy to get.

My first tagine in Morocco was good, but far from outstanding. Just what you’d expect at a place bordering on a tourist trap in the central city square – but I did like it.

For the real deal, I had to wait a few more days, when I was on my way to the Sahara. It was at a place called Gîte Restaurant Youftne in Ksar Lbour, tucked away from the main road. That tagine was mainly made of eggs, prunes and nuts, was served piping hot and still sizzling!

Couscous

You can’t visit North Africa and not try couscous! Even if you’ve had it many times, I doubt it can rival the way it is made in Morocco. You can never predict which vegetables it’s gonna be made with, but the most common ones are carrots and courgettes (zucchinis).

Pretty much every restaurant has a bowl of vegetable couscous on the menu. It won’t disappoint any vegetarian, and will also tick the boxes for vegan visitors.

Moroccan salad

It usually comes as a side with other dishes, but can be good on its own if you’re not very hungry. My Sahara Desert tour companions and I got a very generous portion to share with our tagines. Apart from the ingredients you would expect, such as tomatoes and onions, it had bananas and apples which gave it a sweet and refreshing twist, perfect for the heat outside!

Moroccan breakfast

I’m not sure what normally goes in a carnivore breakfast, but mine consisted of an omelette, bread, butter, apricot jam, honey and Moroccan pancakes: a chewy flatbread called msemmen, and a soft, light baghrir, which looked like a very thin crumpet. Not surprisingly, I’d also get some French pastry, like pain au chocolat or pain aux raisins.

While I prefer savoury food first thing in the morning, I always indulged in these sugar-heavy breakfasts, especially when presented so beautifully on cute trays.

Moroccan sweets

Researching for this post, I found out that Morocco boasts a very wide range of desserts. And now I regret I didn’t sample more when I was there!

Zellige (also spelled zellij) takes its name from a style of Moroccan tile design. It’s made of crushed nuts and caramel, with a layer of chocolate on top, always with a decorative black-and-white pattern.

One of the most popular sweets is ghriba – a round cookie that comes in so many variants that you can never get bored of it. Meskouta is an orange cake with a plain soft dough, reminding me of Madeira cake. You can eat it with breakfast or at any point of the day with tea or coffee.

Mint tea

Talking about Moroccan food, you can’t ignore the country’s national beverage – mint tea! Forget the dreadful dry teabag that might be coming into your mind right now. In Morocco, tea is made with fresh leaves and comes with generous amounts of sugar. The way you pour it into glasses is a special ritual – always from a height, which enhances its aroma and taste.

Other foods

After non-stop eating of the delicious local food, it’s fair if you want to switch things up. While Morocco didn’t seem to be big on international cuisine, you’ll easily find things like falafel with fries and all types of pizza. You also shouldn’t have to go out of your way looking for French restaurants.

It wasn’t just the food itself that I loved about my experience in Morocco. It was also how eager people were to cater to my requirements without making me feel awkward. Such a contrast to countries where, as a vegetarian, you are misunderstood and patronized (I’m looking at you, Portugal!)…

I’d place Morocco very highly on a list of the most veggie-friendly countries. Can’t wait to go back!