How To Be Vegan in Morocco - Your ULTIMATE Vegan Survival Guide

Today i’m going to explain how to survive as a vegan in Morocco.

Morocco is a country that is known for its interesting and unique culture and vibrant food scene. Their cuisine is a rich, bold mix of Arabic, Berber, and Mediterranean influences.

As a vegan, you might be wondering how to navigate the food scene in Morocco, but fear not! With some tips and tricks, it's possible to find plenty of delicious vegan food options in Morocco (in most places).

Foods that are Vegan in Morocco

Moroccan cuisine is known for its spices, and heavy use of meat and dairy products. However, some vegan-friendly foods are readily available in Morocco:

Couscous: Couscous is a staple food in Morocco, and it's usually served with vegetables, like carrots, zucchini, and turnips. The vegetables may vary since in Morocco they cook seasonally most of the time. Make sure you check if there is any butter in the dish, and if there isn't, It's vegan-friendly, and you can find it in most restaurants and cafes. In my experience, the couscous is a large mountain with some vegetables on top. It's a very filling meal so if you're really hungry this is a good option. The only downside to this one is that the couscous itself is usually plain, so if you don't like the idea of eating plain couscous, then maybe this one isn't for you.
Tajine: Tajine is another traditional Moroccan dish that's usually made with meat, but there are also vegan versions available. It's a slow-cooked stew that's served with vegetables and spices. You probably won't see the word "vegan tajine" on a menu. But you will see "vegetarian tajine". As long as they haven't added any cheese or butter, this is usually vegan. Also, make sure to ask if animal stock is used. It can be a bit hit and miss when it comes to tajines in Morocco, some of them can be a bit bland with really soft vegetables and some are bursting to the brim with flavour. You're in for a treat if you can smell garlic wafting from the kitchen. We had an amazing tajine which I'll talk about at the end of this blog post when I come to chat about the restaurants I recommend.
Harira: Harira is a soup that's typically served during Ramadan, but it's available all year round. It's made with lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, and spices, and it's a great vegan option. Every soup I had in Morocco was amazing! As well we the Harira soup you can also order a vegetable soup. I wasn't disappointed with any of the soups I had in Morocco, they know how to soup!
Pastilla: Pastilla is a savoury pie that's usually made with meat, but there are also vegan versions available. It's made with phyllo dough and vegetables all wrapped up in a delicious parcel. Every time I saw this on a menu I ordered it immediately, this is always delicious in my opinion. Always well-flavoured and beautiful! We only saw this in the North of Morocco but it's worth looking out for wherever you are.
Moroccan Salads: Moroccan salads are usually made with fresh vegetables and herbs, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and mint. They're vegan-friendly, and they're a great option for a light meal or a side dish. They usually come in lots of small dishes so if there's a little one that looks like it's got mayo in it, you can just avoid that one.
Khobz: Khobz is a traditional Moroccan bread that's vegan-friendly. It's usually served with olives and olive oil, and it's a great option for breakfast or as a snack. We loved this bread, you can buy it on the street, we usually look out for the ones that are sealed up in a bag to avoid the pollution and dust from the road.
Falafel: You'll find a lot of falafel in Morocco, much to my delight. It's mostly incredible (had a couple of bland ones but typically the standard is high), it comes with hummus and salad usually and is always a nice safe vegan option.
Mint Tea: Not food I know but if you're in Morocco you will end up trying a mint tea. Most hotels, riads, and some hostels serve it on arrival as part of the traditional Moroccan hospitality. If you are not into sweet things, ask for it without sugar, because the tea can sometimes be extremely sweet. Its also worth noting that they occasionally use honey instead of sugar, so be careful with that

Tips on Being Vegan in Morocco

Learn Some Key Phrases: Knowing a few key phrases in Arabic can be helpful when communicating with locals and restaurant staff. Learn how to say "I'm vegan" (Ana nabati), "no meat" (Lahm ma feeha), and "no dairy" (Halib ma feeha).
The most important phrases you'll need in Morocco, in general, are: "Hi" (Salam), "Goodbye" (Beslama), "Yes" (Wah), "No" (La), "Please" (Afak), "Thank you" (Shokran), and most importantly, as you are walking through the streets of Fez and Marrakech, you'll need to keep saying "La Shokran" repeatedly, trust me.
My favourite restaurants in Morocco:
Veggie Pause, Fez. This veggie/ vegan restaurant in Fez is my favourite in Morocco. I didn't think I was a "salad person" until I tried their salad bowl. The burger was a bit dry, but the vegan pizza and the vegan salad bowl were amazing! Also, the mint tea here is perfection. We visited this restaurant about 4 times and each time I couldn't fault it. The staff are amazing and so welcoming too.

Fez and Friends, Fez. The falafel bowl here is wonderful. You also HAVE to try the fresh mint lemonade, it's the best drink I've ever had in my life. Sit outside and enjoy watching the world go by.

Mandala Society, Marrakech. This one is a bit posh and I was assuming because of the vibe that the portions would be pretty small. I was wrong. My chia bowl was huge and exceeded my expectations by 10X. It was fresh and tasty and had so many delicious elements that I wasn't expecting. They have a different menu for breakfast and dinner so make sure you consider that when deciding what you want to eat.

Fine Mama, Marrakech. This is the first restaurant we visited in Marrakech and we loved it. The falafel is really good! We went here a total of three times. The last time we went it wasn't quite as spectacular as the first but it's still one of my top pics for Marrakech. The Falafel wrap is really good and they also do some lovely juices.

Broc the Kasbah, Marrakech. Down-to-earth food and friendly staff. The sweet bean chilly was food and the portion sizes are decent! We went here twice and it was brilliant both times.

Ayaso: This place was nicely located right in the centre of the hustle and bustle of the markets. They had a few veggie options and the vegan option was a delicious coconut curry served with quinoa, salad, and bread. The rooftop here was ideal for watching the busy streets below.

Bilmos, Chefchaouen. We weren't 100% keen on all of the tajines we tried in Morocco... But Bilmos showed us how amazing they can be. We had a few meals here and the best things we tried were the pastilla and the tajine. The tajine is sweet and has so many flavours. It's cooked to absolute perfection, this tajine is known to be the best one in the whole of Morocco (according to us and lots of people on Google reviews).

Much of the time you can get food directly from your hotel restaurant (if they have one). This is how we found good vegan options while we were in the less touristy places like Todgha Gorge, Aït Benhaddou, Merzouga, and even the desert camp we stayed in. The good thing about getting food at the hotel you're staying in is the receptionist will speak English so you'll be able to easily explain your dietary requirements. They will have bread and soup at the minimum and most likely, tajine and couscous.

Keep in mind that it's very uncommon to be vegan in Morocco, even vegetarianism is rare among Moroccan people. So prepare to be offered chicken, fish, cheese, and eggs if you ask for veggie/ vegan food.

And that's it guys, thank you so much for reading my little blog post all about vegan food in Morocco! It hasn't been the easiest place to be vegan but you'll find communication much easier in the cities and you'll be able to double-check on the ingredients.

Wishing you a safe journey ahead,

Beth

@sheisthelostgirl

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