Spice
Cinnamon
قرفة · qarfa
Cinnamon — qarfa — is the spice that lets Moroccan cooking cross freely between sweet and savoury. It warms lamb-and-prune tagines, spices ras el hanout, and finishes the famous pastilla (b'stilla) dusted in cinnamon and icing sugar. A cinnamon stick simmered in a tagine or a pinch of ground cinnamon in an orange salad both feel completely at home.
- Type
- Spice
- Heat
- None
- Uses
- 5 classic dishes
Flavour & aroma
Cinnamon is warm, sweet and woody, with a fragrant depth that works as happily in a meat braise as on a dessert. Whole sticks release their flavour slowly and cleanly in a long simmer; ground cinnamon is more immediate and better for dusting and baking. Moroccan cooking uses it boldly, unafraid to put it on savoury meat.
In the Moroccan kitchen
Where cinnamon earns its place — the Moroccan dishes that rely on it:
- Pastilla (b'stilla). The pigeon or chicken pie is dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar in bold stripes.
- Lamb and prune tagine. Cinnamon and honey turn the braise sweet-savoury.
- Mrouzia. Cinnamon is central to this rich festive lamb dish.
- Orange and cinnamon salad. Sliced oranges dusted with cinnamon and a little orange-blossom water.
- Rice pudding and pastries. Warms milky desserts, sellou and honeyed sweets.
How to use it
- Use whole sticks for long braises and ground cinnamon for dusting, baking and quick dishes.
- Don't be shy about cinnamon on savoury meat — it is a defining Moroccan move, not just a dessert spice.
- Pair it with honey and prunes for sweet-savoury tagines, or with orange and rosewater for desserts.
- Add a cinnamon stick early to a tagine so it infuses slowly, and fish it out before serving.
How to store it
Whole cinnamon sticks keep their aroma for a year or more; ground cinnamon fades faster, so buy it in smaller amounts. Store both sealed, dark and dry. If a stick no longer smells sweet when you snap it, it has lost its punch.
Buying it in the Marrakech spice souk
What to look for, and how not to overpay:
- You'll see both thin, brittle 'true' cinnamon quills and thicker, harder cassia bark — both are sold as qarfa; ask which you're getting.
- Snap a stick and smell the break — it should be sweet and strong, not faint.
- Buy sticks and grind as needed for the freshest ground cinnamon.
- Cinnamon is inexpensive, so buy a small amount fresh rather than a large old bag.
Pairs well with
Frequently asked questions
Why do Moroccans put cinnamon on savoury food?
Moroccan cooking embraces sweet-savoury flavour, and cinnamon is the bridge. It warms lamb-and-prune tagines and mrouzia and is dusted over pastilla, sitting comfortably on meat as well as dessert.
What is the cinnamon on pastilla?
Pastilla (b'stilla) is finished with bold stripes of ground cinnamon and icing sugar over the crisp pastry, playing the sweet dusting against the savoury pigeon or chicken filling beneath.
Is Moroccan cinnamon cassia or true cinnamon?
Both are sold as qarfa. Thicker, harder bark is usually cassia; thin, brittle quills are 'true' Ceylon cinnamon. Either works in Moroccan cooking — just ask the merchant which you are buying.