Planning
How to Read a Moroccan Menu in French and Arabic
Moroccan menus are usually written in French, often in Arabic, and increasingly in English in tourist areas — but the most interesting places lean on French and Darija (Moroccan Arabic). Knowing a few dozen words turns a baffling list into a map of possibilities and helps you order like someone who belongs there rather than pointing hopefully at a neighbour's plate. This guide gives you the practical vocabulary — menu sections, dish names, cooking methods and useful phrases — to read almost any Moroccan menu.
The menu structure and section headings
Most sit-down menus follow a French structure. Entrees or Salades marocaines are the starters — the cooked salad spread of zaalouk, taktouka and friends. Soupes covers harira and bissara. Plats or Plats principaux are the mains, usually split into Tajines, Couscous and Grillades (grilled meats). Desserts covers pastries and fruit, and Boissons are drinks, where you will find the (te, tea) and jus (juice). On simpler menus you may just see handwritten Darija. Learning to spot these six headings — starters, soup, tagine, couscous, grills, drinks — lets you navigate almost any menu at a glance.
Key dish words in French and Arabic
Build a core vocabulary and most menus open up. Poulet is chicken (djaj in Arabic); agneau or mouton is lamb (kharouf); boeuf is beef (bagri); poisson is fish (hout); crevettes are prawns. Tajine de poulet aux citrons confits et olives is the classic chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives. Kefta is spiced minced meat; brochettes are skewers; merguez are spicy sausages. Pastilla (or bastilla) is the sweet-savoury pie. Harira and bissara are the two signature soups. For breakfast words, look for msemen and baghrir (griddle breads), amlou (argan-almond butter) and khobz (bread).
Cooking methods and useful modifiers
The method words tell you as much as the main ingredient. Grille means grilled; frit is fried; au four is oven-baked; mijote means slow-cooked or stewed. Aux (with) links a dish to its garnish — aux pruneaux (with prunes), aux amandes (with almonds), aux legumes (with vegetables). Confit signals a preserved or slow-cooked element, as in citrons confits. Epice means spiced; piquant means hot or spicy, which is worth spotting if you are heat-sensitive. Fait maison means house-made, a good sign. Vegetarian modifiers to know: sans viande (without meat) and legumes (vegetables).
Phrases to order and ask questions
A handful of phrases carry you a long way. Je voudrais... (I would like) is your workhorse. Qu'est-ce que vous recommandez? asks what they recommend. Est-ce que c'est piquant? asks if it is spicy. Sans... (without) plus an ingredient handles dietary needs — sans gluten, sans oeufs (without eggs), sans arachides (without peanuts). L'addition, s'il vous plait requests the bill. In Arabic, shukran is thank you, la shukran is no thank you, and bzaf means a lot or too much — useful when they are heaping your plate. A smile and any attempt at French or Darija are met warmly.
Practical tips
- Learn the six section headings first — starters, soup, tagine, couscous, grills, drinks — and any menu becomes navigable.
- Memorise the five protein words (poulet, agneau, boeuf, poisson, crevettes) to instantly narrow your choices.
- Watch for piquant if you are heat-sensitive and fait maison as a marker of house-made quality.
- Carry the phrase sans plus your allergen (sans gluten, sans oeufs) written down to show waiters.
- When unsure, ask Qu'est-ce que vous recommandez? — Moroccan servers are generous with honest suggestions.
Related questions
What language are Moroccan menus written in?
Most menus are in French, the language of Moroccan commerce and hospitality, often alongside Arabic and, in tourist areas, English. The most authentic local spots may be handwritten in Darija (Moroccan Arabic) only. Knowing a few dozen French and Arabic food words lets you read almost anything you will encounter.
Do I need to speak Arabic to order food in Morocco?
No. French will carry you through the vast majority of restaurants, and English works in tourist areas. A handful of Arabic words like shukran (thank you) and bzaf (a lot) are appreciated but never required. Servers are used to visitors and patient with any genuine attempt to communicate.
How do I identify vegetarian dishes on a Moroccan menu?
Look for legumes (vegetables), sans viande (without meat), and vegetable-forward tagines like tajine aux legumes. Couscous aux sept legumes is the classic seven-vegetable couscous. Be aware that some vegetable dishes are cooked with meat stock, so it is worth confirming with the phrase sans viande when it matters.
What does confit mean on a Moroccan menu?
Confit signals a preserved or slow-cooked element. The most common example is citrons confits — preserved lemons — the salty, fermented lemon that defines the classic chicken tagine. It can also describe slow-cooked onions or other elements. Seeing confit on a menu usually points to a traditional, properly made dish.
How do I ask if a dish is spicy?
Ask Est-ce que c'est piquant? (Is it spicy?). Moroccan food is warmly spiced but rarely chilli-hot, so most dishes will be mild by international standards. Harissa, the chilli paste, is usually served on the side rather than cooked into dishes, so you control the heat yourself.
Learn the dish names hands-on in a market tour and cooking class in the medina