Moroccan cooking tips & how-to guides
Page 4 of 5 · Showing tips 73–96 of 113
What to buy
Ingredients
Choosing the good stuff — olives, preserved lemons, saffron, dates, argan oil, lamb cuts and the rest of the Moroccan larder.
Dried fruits
Choosing Dried Fruits for Moroccan Cooking
Prunes, apricots, raisins and figs — choosing and using dried fruits in tagines and sweets.
Read the guide
Butter & fats
Selecting Butter and Fats for Moroccan Baking
Butter, oil, smen and vegetable fat — choosing the right fat for pastries, bread and sweets.
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Chickpeas & lentils
Choosing Chickpeas and Lentils for Moroccan Soups
Dried vs tinned, green vs red — which pulses for harira, bissara and lentil tagine.
Read the guide Water for tea
Choosing Water for Moroccan Tea
Hard, soft, filtered or tap — why the water you use changes your mint tea.
Read the guideSpice know-how
Spices & substitutes
Ras el hanout, cumin, saffron vs turmeric, smen, harissa — what they are, how to use them, and what to reach for when you can't find them.
Ras el hanout sub
Substitute for Ras el Hanout
No ras el hanout? Build a quick blend from cumin, cinnamon, ginger and more.
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Smen explained
What Is Smen, and How to Substitute It
Morocco's pungent aged butter — what it does and what to use if you can't get it.
Read the guide Preserved lemon sub
Substitute for Preserved Lemon
No preserved lemon? A quick-cure trick and honest stand-ins for that salty tang.
Read the guide Ras el hanout
What Is Ras el Hanout?
Morocco's legendary 'top of the shop' blend — what's in it and how to use it.
Read the guide Argan oil sub
Substitute for Argan Oil
Can't get culinary argan? Toasted nut oils get you closest to its finish.
Read the guide Moroccan spice rack
What Goes Into a Moroccan Spice Rack
The dozen core spices behind almost every Moroccan dish — start here.
Read the guide Blossom water sub
Substitute for Orange Blossom Water
No orange blossom water? Rose water, zest and vanilla can stand in — with caveats.
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Ginger & turmeric
Ginger and Turmeric in Tagines
The warm, earthy pair in a tagine's spice base — fresh vs ground, and how they differ.
Read the guide Paprika types
Paprika: Sweet vs Smoked in Moroccan Food
Sweet paprika is the Moroccan default — why smoked changes the dish, and hot paprika's role.
Read the guide Cinnamon savoury
Cinnamon in Savoury Moroccan Dishes
Not just for sweets — cinnamon in tagines, pastilla and tfaya, and how to use it.
Read the guide Harissa sub
Substitute for Harissa
No harissa? Build the heat from chilli, garlic, cumin and a little tomato.
Read the guide La kama blend
What Is La Kama, the Northern Spice Blend?
Tangier's simple five-spice mix for soups and stews — the everyday cousin of ras el hanout.
Read the guide Saffron subs
Saffron Substitutes for Moroccan Cooking
Saffron's costly — turmeric for colour, safflower for looks, and honest expectations.
Read the guide Black vs white pepper
Black Pepper vs White Pepper in Moroccan Food
Why Moroccan recipes sometimes call for white pepper — and when to use each.
Read the guide Dried herbs
Dried Herbs in Moroccan Cooking
When dried oregano, thyme and verbena are better than fresh — and when they're not.
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Fennel & anise
Fennel Seed and Anise in Moroccan Recipes
The liquorice-sweet notes in Moroccan bread, tea and digestive remedies.
Read the guide Nigella seeds
Nigella Seeds in Moroccan Baking
The black seed sprinkled on bread and pastries — subtle, earthy, unmistakable.
Read the guideThe right kit
Equipment
Tagines, couscoussiers, diffusers and more — how to choose, use and care for the tools of Moroccan cooking, and what to use if you have none.
Choose a tagine
How to Choose a Tagine Pot
Cooking-grade vs decorative, clay vs cast iron, and the right size to buy.
Read the guide Clay vs cast iron
Clay vs Cast-Iron Tagine
Authenticity and earthiness vs durability and convenience — which suits you.
Read the guide
Couscoussier?
Do You Need a Couscoussier?
The two-tier couscous steamer — when it's worth it and how to improvise one.
Read the guideCook it hands-on in Marrakech
Put these tips to work in a class with a local cook.