Moroccan Table Manners: How to Eat Like a Local

Eating in a Moroccan home is one of the best ways to understand the country, and one of the most generous. Food is shared from one big plate, bread replaces the fork, and your host will keep telling you to eat more long after you’re full. None of the rules are hard, but knowing them makes you feel at ease instead of wondering what to do with your hands.

Here’s how a Moroccan meal works, from washing your hands to the last glass of tea.

The short version

• Wash your hands before eating.
• Say “bismillah” (in the name of God) before the first bite.
• Eat with your right hand, using bread to scoop.
• Eat from the part of the shared plate in front of you.
• Let the host offer you the meat.
• Accept at least one glass of tea.
• Expect to be told to eat more. It’s love, not pressure.

Before the meal

Bring a small gift if you’re invited to a home. Pastries, fruit, a box of tea or a cone of sugar are all classic. Skip alcohol, since many Moroccan families don’t drink.

Watch your host with shoes. In many homes people take their shoes off before stepping onto the carpets in the sitting room. If you see a pile of shoes at the door, add yours.

Wash your hands. In traditional homes, someone comes around with a basin and a kettle of warm water so everyone can wash their hands at the table. In most modern homes you’ll just be shown to the sink. Either way, clean hands matter, because you’re about to eat with them.

At the table

Meals are usually served on a low round table, with everyone sitting close on sofas or cushions around it. The main dish goes in the middle, and everyone eats from it.

Use your right hand. It’s the hand for eating and passing food. Keep your left hand in your lap.

Bread is your fork. Tear a small piece of khobz, use it to pinch up some vegetables and sauce, and eat bread and food together. Bread is also used to wipe up the last of the sauce. It’s never wasted.

Stay in your section. Imagine the plate is cut into slices like a cake, one for each person. Eat from the part closest to you and don’t reach across.

Tagine and couscous

With a tagine, the vegetables and sauce are eaten first, and the meat usually sits in the middle. It’s polite to wait for the host to break it up and push pieces toward you. Don’t go digging for the best piece. You’ll almost always be given it anyway.

Couscous is often eaten with a spoon these days. In traditional homes, some people still roll a little couscous into a ball in their right hand and pop it in their mouth, which takes practice. Nobody will expect you to do it. Try our couscous recipe at home, and read more about how tagines are cooked.

“Kul, kul”: when the host says eat more

Your host will keep putting food in front of you and saying “kul” (eat). This is how Moroccans show care, and a guest who eats well is paying the cook a compliment. When you really are full, say so warmly: “shbe3t, alhamdulillah” (I’m full, thank God). You may have to say it more than once.

After the meal

• Say “alhamdulillah” (thank God) when you finish.
• Hands get washed again, especially after tagine or couscous.
• Then comes mint tea, often with nuts or cookies. Here’s the story behind it in our guide to Moroccan mint tea culture.
• People say “bssaha” (to your health) to each other after eating or drinking. The reply is “Allah y3tik saha” (may God give you health).

Eating out in Morocco

In restaurants and cafés, things are more relaxed and you’ll get your own plate and cutlery. Street food is eaten standing or on small stools, often with bread as the only utensil. Breakfast in a café is a great way to start: our Moroccan breakfast guide tells you what to order, and our list of famous foods in Morocco covers what to try later in the day.

During Ramadan

If you visit during Ramadan, most Moroccans fast from dawn to sunset. As a visitor you can eat, but be discreet about eating and drinking in public during the day. If you’re invited to ftour, the meal that breaks the fast at sunset, arrive on time. Everyone eats the moment the call to prayer sounds, usually starting with dates, milk and harira. Read more in our guide to Ramadan in Morocco.

Why meals are shared

Eating from one plate is about more than saving dishes. It’s a way of saying that everyone at the table is family for the length of the meal. You can read more about the bigger picture of Moroccan cuisine on Wikipedia, including why couscous is still the Friday dish in so many homes.

Moroccan table manners FAQ

Do Moroccans eat with their hands?

Often, yes, with the right hand and bread. Forks and spoons are also common, especially for couscous and soup.

Why is the left hand not used for eating?

It’s traditionally the hand used for personal hygiene, so eating and passing food is done with the right hand.

Is it rude to leave food on the plate?

No. Since everyone eats from one shared dish, there’s no “clean plate” rule. Just eat until you’re full and say so kindly.

What should I bring when invited to a Moroccan home?

Pastries, fruit, tea or a sugar cone. Anything sweet to share with the tea is always welcome.

What do I say after a meal in Morocco?

“Alhamdulillah” when you finish, “shukran” (thank you) to the cook, and “bssaha” to the people around you.

The most important rule is the easiest one: arrive hungry. Planning a trip? These 10 things to know before visiting Morocco will help with the rest.