What should you buy at a Moroccan market or supermarket, and what do you need to know about the dirham before you shop?

The dirham is a closed currency

This is the practical rule that catches people out: the Moroccan dirham cannot be imported or exported. You cannot buy it before you arrive, and you cannot legally take it home.

In practice that means changing money on arrival, spending or converting what is left before you fly, and treating any leftover notes as a small loss rather than a souvenir.

Cards work in supermarkets, hotels and many restaurants. Souks, small shops and taxis are cash. Our Morocco tipping guide covers what to leave and to whom.

Spices: the reason to shop in a souk

Ras el hanout is the blended spice mix, and every vendor has their own ratio of twenty-odd spices. Buy a small bag, smell it, and only buy more if it is fragrant rather than dusty.

Cumin, coriander, cinnamon and saffron are the individual spices worth buying. Saffron from Taliouine in the south is the real thing; threads should be deep red with no yellow styles.

Ground spices lose their aroma within months. Buy whole where you can and grind at home — it travels better and lasts longer.

Harissa is the chilli paste, and preserved lemons are sold in jars. Both are cheap and both are hard to find good versions of abroad.

The things Morocco does better than anywhere

Argan oil is the obvious one, and the most counterfeited. Culinary argan is roasted and has a nutty taste; cosmetic argan is unroasted and lighter. Buy from a cooperative rather than a stall at a tourist viewpoint, and check the bottle says food-grade if you intend to cook with it.

Amlou is ground almonds with argan oil and honey, eaten on bread at breakfast. It is heavy, so buy a small jar.

Olives are sold by the kilo in dozens of varieties, cured with lemon, chilli or herbs. Buy a small tub for the week rather than as a souvenir — they do not travel well.

Mint tea means gunpowder green tea and a lot of sugar. The tea itself is worth buying; the ceremony you will be offered in a shop is usually a prelude to a sales pitch, which is fine as long as you know.

Bread, markets and timing

Bread is bought fresh twice a day — khobz from the neighbourhood oven in the morning and again in the late afternoon. Buy it the same day you eat it.

Markets are busiest early. In smaller towns there is often a weekly market on a fixed day, and on that day the town effectively moves there.

Fridays are slower. Many shops close around midday prayer, and some stay shut for the afternoon.

Ramadan changes everything: opening hours shift, some shops close in the afternoon and food shopping peaks late in the day before iftar. We cover the travel effects in visiting Morocco during Ramadan.

Frequently asked questions