Harvest
The Grape Harvest and Raisin-Making in Morocco
Grapes have grown in Morocco since antiquity, and while the country is not primarily a wine-producing nation, the table-grape harvest is generous and the tradition of drying grapes into raisins (zebib) is old and deeply embedded. In late summer the markets pile high with bunches of sweet, sun-ripened grapes, and in the vineyards and gardens, trays of fruit are laid out in the sun to become the raisins that will sweeten tagines, couscous and pastries for the year ahead.
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- 6 min
- Season
- Harvest
- Updated
- 20 July 2026
At a glance
- Table grapes ripen from July to September across Morocco's grape-growing regions.
- Raisins (zebib) are made by sun-drying grapes, a tradition going back centuries.
- Raisins are a core ingredient in sweet-savoury tagines, couscous garnish and pastries.
- The main grape regions are Meknès, the northern hills and the Souss.
The harvest
Morocco's grape-growing regions — the hills around Meknès, the northern Rif foothills, the Zerhoun, and parts of the Souss — produce a generous table-grape harvest from July into September. Varieties range from small, intensely sweet golden grapes to large, dark bunches. In the markets, grapes are among the cheapest and most abundant summer fruits, bought by the kilogram and eaten fresh throughout the season.
The grape harvest marks the transition from high summer toward autumn, and in the countryside it overlaps with the beginning of the olive and date harvests that define the next season.
Drying raisins
The tradition of drying grapes into raisins is simple and ancient. Bunches or individual grapes are spread on trays, mats or flat rooftops and left in the sun for one to three weeks, turned occasionally, until they shrivel and concentrate their sugars. The result is zebib — dark, sweet raisins that keep for months and become a pantry staple.
- Zebib: sun-dried raisins, dark and intensely sweet.
- Tagine garnish: raisins in lamb with prunes, mrouzia, and other sweet-savoury dishes.
- Couscous: scattered over sweet couscous (mesfouf) and celebratory seffa.
- Pastries: in fekkas (twice-baked biscuits) and some briouat fillings.
- Ashura fakia: part of the dried-fruit-and-nut platter shared at Ashura.
Grapes in the Moroccan food year
Fresh grapes are a fleeting summer pleasure; raisins carry their sweetness forward through the year. The sweet-savoury dishes that define Moroccan festival and winter cooking — mrouzia, lamb with prunes, tfaya onion garnish — depend on raisins for their characteristic balance. Without them, a whole dimension of the cuisine would be missing.
For the sweet-savoury tradition, see festive Moroccan desserts by season, and for the autumn harvest that follows the grapes, autumn harvest foods.
Frequently asked questions
When is the grape harvest in Morocco?
Table grapes ripen from July to September, with the peak in August. The main growing regions are around Meknès, the northern Rif foothills and parts of the Souss. Fresh grapes are among the cheapest and most abundant summer fruits in Moroccan markets.
How are raisins made in Morocco?
Grapes are spread on trays or flat rooftops and dried in the sun for one to three weeks, turned occasionally, until they shrivel and concentrate their sugars. The resulting zebib (raisins) are stored and used throughout the year in tagines, couscous, pastries and dried-fruit platters.
What dishes use raisins in Moroccan cooking?
Raisins are essential in sweet-savoury tagines like mrouzia and lamb with prunes, in the tfaya onion garnish for couscous, in sweet couscous (mesfouf), in fekkas biscuits, and as part of the fakia dried-fruit platter shared at Ashura. They carry the sweetness of summer grapes into the cooking of every season.