Harvests & produce
Spring Produce in Morocco
After the grey and rain of a Moroccan winter, spring arrives as a green explosion. The countryside that surrounds Marrakech and covers the plains turns briefly emerald, the markets fill with tender vegetables, and cooking lightens to match. Spring is short and precious here, and eating with it means catching produce at a fleeting best.
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- Harvests & produce
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- Spring is the season of tender legumes — fresh peas, broad beans and artichokes.
- Green almonds, eaten whole while the shell is still soft, are a fleeting spring treat.
- The first strawberries and stone fruit arrive as winter citrus fades.
- Wild herbs and greens gathered after the rains flavour the season's cooking.
The tender legumes
Spring is when Morocco's cooking is at its most delicate. Fresh peas (jelbana) and young broad beans (foul akhdar) appear in the souks in their pods, and the two are often cooked together in a simple, bright tagine with preserved lemon, olive oil and coriander. Artichokes (qoq) are trimmed to their tender hearts and braised until silky, sometimes with the peas and beans in one green, springlike pot.
These are dishes that need little — good olive oil, a few herbs, the freshness of the vegetable itself. They are a seasonal counterpoint to the long meat braises of winter.
Green almonds and the first fruit
One of the true tastes of a Moroccan spring is the green almond — the whole young fruit, picked before the shell hardens, when the almond inside is soft and jelly-like and the fuzzy green casing is edible. Sold in little heaps and eaten dipped in salt, they are tart, grassy and gone within weeks.
- Green almonds: whole soft young almonds, eaten with salt in early spring.
- Strawberries: the first berries, grown especially around the northern regions.
- Loquats (mzah): small golden fruit that ripen in late spring.
- Early apricots and plums: the leading edge of the stone-fruit season.
Wild greens and herbs after the rains
The winter rains bring a flush of wild greens and herbs across the hills and field margins, and rural families gather them freely. Wild mallow (khobiza or bakoula) is the star — the leaves slow-cooked with olive oil, garlic, preserved lemon and olives into a dense, savoury dish eaten cool with bread. Wild fennel, wild thyme and other foraged greens season tagines and breads.
Spring is also the ideal season for eating outdoors as the weather turns mild. See our guide to spring picnics and outdoor eating, and for the wider seasonal table, what to eat in Morocco in spring.
Frequently asked questions
What produce is in season in Morocco in spring?
Spring brings tender legumes — fresh peas, young broad beans and artichokes — along with green almonds, the first strawberries, loquats and early apricots. Wild greens like mallow (bakoula) and wild fennel, gathered after the winter rains, also flavour the season.
What are green almonds?
Green almonds are the whole young almond fruit picked in early spring before the shell hardens. The fuzzy green casing is still soft and edible, and the almond inside is pale and jelly-like. They are eaten raw, often dipped in salt, and are tart and grassy — a fleeting seasonal treat.
What is bakoula?
Bakoula (also khobiza) is wild mallow, a leafy green gathered abundantly after the winter rains. The leaves are slow-cooked down with olive oil, garlic, preserved lemon, coriander and olives into a dense, savoury dish eaten cool with bread — a much-loved springtime specialty.
How do Moroccans cook spring vegetables?
Lightly. Fresh peas, broad beans and artichoke hearts are braised together in bright, simple tagines with olive oil, preserved lemon and coriander, letting the tender vegetables lead. It is a deliberate contrast to the rich, long-cooked meat dishes that dominate the colder months.