Dishes & their history
The History of Bessara
Before dawn in cities across Morocco, bessara stalls set out their bowls — thick, pale-green soup made from dried split fava beans, finished with a slick of olive oil, a dusting of cumin and a scatter of paprika. It is one of the cheapest breakfasts in the country, and one of the oldest, rooted in a time when dried pulses were the protein that kept ordinary people fed through the lean months.
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- 6 min
- Topic
- Dishes & their history
- Updated
- 20 July 2026
At a glance
- Bessara is a thick soup of dried split fava beans, finished with olive oil, cumin and paprika.
- It has rural, subsistence origins — cheap protein from stored pulses.
- It is now one of Morocco's most popular street breakfasts.
Pulses and poverty: the roots of bessara
Dried fava beans (broad beans) have been cultivated across North Africa and the Mediterranean for millennia, and soups made from them are among the most ancient prepared foods in the region. In Morocco, bessara developed as quintessential peasant food — the kind of dish that kept families fed when meat was a luxury and the larder held little more than dried pulses, olive oil and bread.
The logic is universal: soak dried beans, simmer them until they collapse, season simply. What makes Moroccan bessara distinctive is its finish — good olive oil poured generously over the bowl, cumin for warmth, paprika for colour — and its social role as the breakfast of the working poor.
From the countryside to the cart
Bessara migrated from rural kitchens to the cities with the people who ate it, and it found a natural home as street food. In Marrakech, Fes, Casablanca and Meknes, small stalls and carts sell bowls of bessara from early morning, often alongside khobz (bread) for dipping. The price is low, the portion filling, and the combination of slow-release carbohydrate and plant protein makes it genuinely sustaining — a workman's breakfast that does its job.
In the north, particularly around Chefchaouen and the Rif, bessara is sometimes made from dried peas rather than fava beans, producing a slightly different flavour and colour. Both versions share the same frugal spirit.
A dish that endures
Despite the arrival of cafés, bakeries and international fast food, bessara has held its ground as a daily fixture. Its cheapness is part of the explanation, but so is the taste — earthy, warming, satisfying in a way that a croissant is not. It has also gained a quiet following among visitors who discover it at market stalls and recognise it as one of those honest, ancient dishes that no amount of culinary fashion can improve upon.
For a related pulse-based dish with a different character, see the history of harira.
Frequently asked questions
What is bessara made from?
Bessara is made from dried split fava beans (broad beans), simmered until they break down into a thick soup. It is finished with olive oil, ground cumin and paprika, and eaten with bread.
When do Moroccans eat bessara?
Bessara is primarily a breakfast dish, sold from street stalls and carts in the early morning. It is also eaten as a light supper in some households, particularly in cooler weather.
Is bessara the same as ful medames?
No. Ful medames, common in Egypt and the Levant, is made from whole fava beans and has a different texture and preparation. Bessara uses split dried favas cooked to a smooth purée. Both are pulse-based and ancient, but they are distinct dishes.