Best Breakfast in Taroudant — Argan and Amlou at the Source

Taroudant sits in the argan-growing Souss Valley, and its breakfasts show it. The regional highlight is amlou — the rich spread of ground roasted almonds, argan oil and honey — served with fresh bread and griddle cakes, along with pure culinary argan oil for dipping. Here at the source, with the almonds, honey and argan all from the surrounding countryside, these taste better than anywhere, and they make the Taroudant breakfast genuinely distinctive.

The rest is the classic Moroccan spread: msemmen and harcha griddle breads, baghrir pancakes, honey, jam, soft cheese, olives and eggs, with plenty of sweet mint tea. Guesthouses, riads and kasbah-hotels serve generous breakfasts in courtyards and on terraces, often making a point of the local argan and amlou. For a cheaper, more local start, the souks and medina cafés offer sfenj doughnuts, bissara soup and coffee.

Because Taroudant is relaxed and untouristy, breakfast here is calm and authentic, taken among locals in a walled town far from the crowds. The Souss produce — argan, almonds, honey, dates — gives even a simple morning meal a strong sense of place, and the prices are honest. The coffee is the national café style, with a nous-nous (half coffee, half milk) the order to know.

Make room for the amlou and argan oil, which are the local signature and at their very best here, and enjoy the unhurried pace. Whether a full spread at a riad or sfenj and coffee at a souk café, a Taroudant breakfast is authentic, regional and a delicious introduction to the flavours of the Souss.