Since more people are going vegan to avoid animal cruelty, I thought it would best to write about vegan dishes in Morocco. Only in recent times in Morocco that meat and fish have become more common at mealtimes.  In my grandparent’s generation where meat was considered a luxury, it was eaten occasionally and left for special occasions or for guests. 

For most people, fish is still a luxury in Morocco which is why not a lot of people have access to it, but, if you live on the coast, then that’s another story. Fish is more accessible than meat for Moroccans who live on the coast back then, and even up until now. 

As most people were poor, it was creativity in the kitchen that could make a few vegetables or fruit look like a feast.  Vegetables in Morocco are in abundance since the main activity that brings money to Morocco is agriculture. Even though some vegetables are seasonal, the salad culture is important. Morocco has a lot of vegan and vegetarian dishes that almost everyone love and are eaten occasionally, I still have fond memories of frequently eating ‘Adis’ a Moroccan lentil dish served warm with bread at my Grandmother’s house. 

If you are travelling to Morocco, believe me, you will be able to find some lovely vegan or vegetarian dishes to enjoy so you won’t be eating bread the whole time. Here are some examples of what you could eat:

• Bissara  - Fava Bean dip/soup – it’s quite thick but great as a winter treat. You could consider it as an upgraded version of Hummus.
• Chourba – Soup which is made of vegetables like courgette, carrots, potatoes and onions.
• Adis – Lentils served warm to be eaten with bread and served with a tablespoon of Hrissa to give it a kick.
• Salads both hot and cold versions like Moroccan salad, carrot salad, Taktouka, and so on.
• Vegetable Tagine – usually made of tomatoes, onions, potatoes, courgette and any other vegetable.
• Vegetable Couscous – Couscous grains that are topped with the Couscous sauce and 7 different vegetables.
• Juices, juices and more juices

If you are vegan, you must ask if they have added butter or ‘Smen’ in the dish as this a fermented butter occasionally added to dishes for extra flavour. This way you can avoid eating anything you suspect. 

In Morocco, vegans are increasing in number by the year which is in 2018, Morocco held its first Vegan festival as the movement is growing there. Click here to read the article. It’s great to see that other cultures and lifestyles are being transmitted to Morocco and celebrated, especially veganism which minimizes animal cruelty.

So, have you ever visited Morocco and tried any of our vegan dishes?

Header photo by Rachid Oucharia on Unsplash

Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash