Trade & culture
History of Moroccan Coffee Culture
Mint tea is Morocco's undisputed national drink, but coffee has carved out its own place. From spiced traditional brews to the milky nous-nous of the modern café, coffee tells a story of Arab-world trade and, above all, the café culture that flourished during the French era.
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- 7 min
- Topic
- Trade & culture
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- Coffee reached Morocco through the wider Arab and Ottoman world before the modern café.
- Traditional Moroccan coffee is often spiced with cinnamon, cardamom or sesame.
- The pavement café, and drinks like nous-nous, owe much to the French period.
Coffee comes to Morocco
Coffee spread across the Islamic world from its origins in the Red Sea region, becoming established in the Arab and Ottoman lands well before it took hold in Morocco. It arrived as part of this broad diffusion, though it never displaced tea, which remained the everyday drink of hospitality in most homes.
Where coffee did establish itself, Moroccans often gave it their own character, spicing it in a way that distinguishes traditional Moroccan coffee from a plain brew.
Spiced coffee and the café
Moroccan coffee comes in more than one guise, from aromatic spiced versions rooted in tradition to the espresso-based drinks of the modern café that grew up under French influence.
- Spiced coffee (qahwa bahara): coffee scented with cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger or sesame.
- Nous-nous: 'half-half', a small coffee cut with an equal measure of milk.
- Café noir and cassé: black coffee, or coffee with just a dash of milk.
- The pavement café: a social institution, especially for watching the street go by.
A place beside the teapot
The café became a fixture of Moroccan city life during the 20th century, a space for conversation, business and people-watching that sits alongside the home ritual of mint tea. Coffee and tea coexist: tea for the household and hospitality, coffee for the café and the morning, each with its own setting.
This modern drinking culture connects to wider history. Read on with the French colonial influence on Moroccan food and the history of Moroccan mint tea.
Frequently asked questions
Do Moroccans drink coffee or tea?
Both, but in different settings. Mint tea is the national drink of the home and of hospitality, while coffee is strongly associated with the café and the morning. Tea remains dominant, with coffee holding a distinct and popular place beside it.
What is traditional Moroccan coffee?
Traditional Moroccan coffee, sometimes called qahwa bahara, is spiced with warm aromatics such as cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger or sesame. This spicing distinguishes it from a plain brew and reflects the wider Moroccan love of fragrant flavour.
What is nous-nous?
Nous-nous means half-half in Moroccan Arabic. It is a small coffee served with an equal measure of milk, a popular café drink. Other common orders include black café noir and café cassé, coffee with just a dash of milk.
How did café culture develop in Morocco?
Coffee reached Morocco through the Arab and Ottoman world, but the pavement café as a social institution grew up strongly during the French era of the 20th century. It became a space for conversation, business and watching the street.