Whether you prefer coffee on the go or a big bowl of muesli, Moroccan breakfast is sure to shake up your morning routine. Hearty, varied and tasty, it's one of the essential meals of the day in Morocco, combining sweet and savoury dishes and featuring the traditional recipes of each region.
Ftour, the Moroccan morning feast
"All that !?" — this is probably the first exclamation that will come to your mind when you sit down for breakfast in Morocco.
On your "Ftour" menu: hot drinks, fresh orange juice, olives, dates, fresh cheese, omelettes or fried eggs, yoghurts, virgin olive oil, honey, butter and above all a wide variety of breads, pancakes and galettes typical of the country.
For those who prefer a hearty version, very small greasy spoons also offer soups that will keep you going. The most popular Ftour soups are bessara, a delicious dried bean soup, generously drizzled with olive oil and cumin, or belboula, a white barley and herb soup.
The 1001 regional variations of Ftour
While certain mainstays of Ftour are unavoidable from North to South (tea, coffee, orange juice, eggs…), several specialties are typical of certain regions of the Kingdom.
The soft semolina cakes (photo) known as harcha, for example, are a Middle Atlas speciality, while the fresh cheese spread (jben arabi) is made in the green mountainous regions of the Rif.
Another spreadable delicacy, amlou, an almond puree with honey and argan oil, is the pride of the Souss region. Addiction guaranteed!
Last but not least, breakfast in Fès would not be complete without eggs with khlie, dried meat preserved in fat or olive oil.
Darija-English breakfast mini-glossary
Mint tea: Atay bnanah
Black tea: Atay k-7el
Black coffee: Qahwa k-7ela
Coffee with milk: Nos-nos (half-half; do pronounce the final S)
One tea please: Oua7ed atay, 3afak
Without sugar: Bla sukar
With sugar: Bsukar
Square flaky pancake: msemmen
Thousand-holes crepe: baghrir
Semolina flatbread: 7archa
Bread: Khobz
Cheese: Jben
Fruits: Fawaki or disir (from dessert!)
Turkey ham: bibi
Butter: Zebda
Honey: 3asl
Jam: Koufitir or marmelada
Recommandations of Palais Faraj
Served at table or as a buffet, depending on the season, the Ftour at Palais Faraj knows its classics inside out, but one of its musts are the small, deliciously crisp, homemade msemmen, prepared to order.
Gourmets will also appreciate the selection of local goat's cheese, as well as the exceptional Noor organic olive oil, produced from Picholines olives by a family business just outside Fez.
