A typical Moroccan lunch begins with hot and cold what?

A typical Moroccan lunch begins with hot and cold salads. These opening dishes are a defining part of the meal’s sequence, appearing before a tagine, dwaz, couscous, or another substantial main course.

Moroccan salads are not limited to leafy greens. They can include raw vegetables, cooked vegetables, herbs, olives, preserved lemon, and spices. Zaalouk, a cooked eggplant-and-tomato salad, and taktouka, made with tomatoes and roasted green peppers, are familiar examples. Depending on the dish and the household, salads may be served warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

A common mix-up is assuming that soup must begin lunch because harira is one of Morocco’s best-known foods. Harira is important, particularly during Ramadan, but it is generally treated as a soup or meal in its own right rather than the standard opening described here. Moroccan meals also commonly use bread for scooping and sharing, making the salad course both social and practical.