Religious & festival
Eid al-Adha: The Moroccan Feast of Sacrifice
Eid al-Adha — known in Morocco as Eid el-Kebir, the great feast — commemorates the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, and the ram sent in his place. Families who are able sacrifice a sheep, and the days that follow become a careful, respectful, nose-to-tail celebration. Like all Islamic festivals it follows the lunar calendar and shifts about eleven days earlier each year.
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- Religious & festival
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- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- Boulfaf — skewered, caul-wrapped grilled liver — is the traditional first taste on the morning of the feast.
- The days that follow move through offal, then mrouzia, couscous and finally the roasted and preserved cuts.
- Nothing is wasted: head, offal, tripe and fat each have their own dish.
- Dates shift each year with the lunar calendar; Eid al-Adha falls roughly two months after Ramadan.
The morning of the feast
After the communal Eid prayer, the sacrifice is carried out according to Islamic tradition, and the whole household turns to the work of the day. Because offal spoils quickly in the summer heat, the liver, heart and lungs are cooked first, and the very first dish eaten is almost always boulfaf.
Boulfaf is fresh liver cut into cubes, wrapped in a thin lace of caul fat, threaded onto skewers and grilled over charcoal until the fat crisps and the liver stays just pink inside. Seasoned simply with salt, cumin and a little paprika, and eaten with bread and sweet mint tea, it is one of those foods that tastes of a single day in the year.
Eating through the animal, day by day
Eid el-Kebir is a marathon rather than a single meal. The eating unfolds over several days, moving from the quickest-spoiling parts to the cuts that keep, so that a whole sheep feeds a family and its guests for the better part of a week.
- Boulfaf: caul-wrapped grilled liver skewers, eaten first on the morning of the feast.
- Tqalia and kwah: offal — liver, heart, lung — sauteed with garlic, cumin, paprika and coriander.
- Mrouzia: the sweet-savoury lamb tagine with raisins, almonds and honey that also preserves the meat.
- Bou zelouf: the seasoned, slow-steamed head, a delicacy for those who love it.
- Mechoui and tanjia: whole slow-roasted shoulder and the clay-pot Marrakchi braise, served in the following days.
Mrouzia and the art of preserving meat
In a hot country before refrigeration, a feast that produces a great deal of meat at once needed dishes that could keep. Mrouzia is the answer: lamb cooked very slowly with ras el hanout, raisins, fried almonds, honey and smen (aged butter) until it turns dark, glossy and intensely sweet-savoury. The high sugar and fat content acts as a natural preservative, and a pot of mrouzia keeps for days.
The spice blend ras el hanout is central here, and Eid is when many families reach for their finest blend. For more on the mixture see our note on warming Moroccan spices.
Sharing and the spirit of the feast
Generosity is woven into the ritual. Tradition holds that the meat is divided in three — one part for the household, one for family and friends, and one for the poor and those who cannot afford a sheep of their own. Neighbours exchange plates, and no one is meant to go without.
By the second or third day the eating shifts to shared couscous and tagines that stretch the remaining meat, and the mood settles into visiting, sweets and mint tea. For the roasting traditions in detail, see our Eid lamb and mechoui guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is Eid al-Adha in Morocco?
Eid al-Adha, called Eid el-Kebir (the great feast) in Morocco, commemorates the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son. Families who can afford to sacrifice a sheep and share the meat with relatives and the poor. It falls about two months after Ramadan and shifts earlier each year with the lunar calendar.
What do Moroccans eat on Eid al-Adha?
The first dish is usually boulfaf, grilled caul-wrapped liver skewers. The following days bring offal sautes, mrouzia (sweet lamb with raisins and almonds), couscous, mechoui (slow-roasted shoulder), tanjia and even the seasoned head, bou zelouf. Nothing from the animal is wasted.
What is boulfaf?
Boulfaf is fresh lamb liver cut into cubes, wrapped in a lacy layer of caul fat, skewered and grilled over charcoal. Seasoned with salt, cumin and paprika, it is the traditional first food eaten on the morning of Eid al-Adha because offal must be cooked before it spoils.
What is mrouzia?
Mrouzia is a slow-cooked lamb tagine with ras el hanout, raisins, fried almonds, honey and aged smen butter. Its richness is both a delicacy and practical: the sugar and fat preserve the meat for several days, which mattered in the summer heat of Eid before refrigeration.