Moroccan bread couldn’t be missing from this blog, where we cover so many food-related topics, from typical dishes to traditional sweets. This product is a staple in the diet of the people of this country, so trying it during your trip will become a cultural and sensory experience you shouldn’t miss. Below, we’ll share a few general notes about this food.
A symbolic product
Moroccan bread is generally known as khobz, pronounced something like joombzn, and it’s a fundamental, symbolic product for different reasons. The terrain and climate of this country, especially in the north, turned it into a true wheat granary that supplied the Roman Empire, so the consumption of this kind of product has been rooted in local culture ever since, both among the native Berbers and later Arab invaders.
For all of them, of Muslim faith, bread is a product full of meaning, as it symbolizes humility, effort, and sharing, since in the past (and in many cases still today) it was made at home in the household or community oven. And in an environment where heat was and is a factor to consider, this food was highly valued because it keeps easily and for a long time at room temperature. Also, for poorer and nomadic people, Moroccan bread had the added benefit of acting as “cutlery”—in other words, as a utensil to help bring food to the mouth.
Types of bread in Morocco
Although the variety of Moroccan breads may not be as wide as what we can find in other countries on the northern shore of the Mediterranean, the range of types is broad enough to catch our attention. In fact, we list them below, but each one deserves to be the star of its own post:
- Khobz batbout: perhaps the most popular and common, made with a mix of wheat flour and wheat semolina
- Khobz m’zaweq: used to accompany hearty Moroccan soups
- Kessra: a type of unleavened bread (no yeast or very little) with a round shape
- Msemmen: made with a puff-pastry-like dough
- Baghrir: the closest to a crêpe
- Rziza: also reminiscent of a crêpe, but with layers made from stretched pieces of dough
- Khobz zra’ or Crone: made with a mix of wheat flour and barley flour/semolina
- Harcha: typical of the north, with a soft crumb
- Krachel: similar to brioche
- Tafarnout: Berber bread baked on a stone
- Amaria: for the Aid el-Kebir celebration
- Berber fig bread
Where to find Moroccan bread
The most genuinely authentic place to find typical Moroccan bread is at home. Even today, it’s common for families to bake this food in the oven in their own home or, if it’s a traditional wood-, clay-, and stone-fired one, in a community oven.
However, traditional restaurants—whether popular places or premium-segment ones more committed to local cuisine—also include some of the breads mentioned on their menus, so you can order and enjoy them with your meal.
Lastly, another obvious option is to buy Moroccan bread in bakeries. In this case, keep in mind that in recent years many Western-style bakeries have sprung up—or at least ones with French influence—with their own bakery workshop and a wide variety of pastries. They make quality breads, but not always truly traditional ones. In any case, don’t hesitate to go in and look for any of the breads mentioned here. And if you find them… go ahead and try them anytime!
