The 4 Moroccan Cookbooks to Have on Your Shelf in 2021
As a Moroccan who loves cooking, I get asked all the time about my Moroccan cookbook favorites. Throughout the years, I’ve accumulated a good number of these Moroccan cookbooks and tried enough recipes to decide which ones I really like. And there aren’t many, to be honest. Having a good background in Moroccan cooking makes it easier for me to define what’s a true Moroccan cookbook, and what’s just marketing. So let’s dive right in, shall we?
1. Paula Wolfert’s The Food of Morocco Cookbook
Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by Paula’s The food of Morocco cookbook. It made me travel across Morocco and remember some traditional recipes that my mother and grandmother used to make back in the time. It’s the perfect cookbook if you are an epicure and if you LOVE Morocco and Moroccan cuisine. You will learn the culture and tradition behind many Moroccan recipes through absolutely amazing photography.
You will find in Paula’s cookbook a wide range of recipes, from easy to complex. They can be as easy as the creamy Moroccan semolina soup or quite technical like the couscous – which we make in Morocco from scratch. All recipes I tried respect the traditional way of making Moroccan food.
While you might occasionally have trouble finding some ingredients – which is normal as the recipes are very authentic – if you live in the US, Canada, UK, or Australia, you can check this page where I list my favorite shops to get Moroccan ingredients.
You can find Paula’s The Food of Morocco cookbook here.
2- The Modern Tagine Cookbook by Ghillie Basan
Another Moroccan cookbook favorite is the Modern Tagine Cookbook by Ghillie Basan. This cookbook focuses on Moroccan tagine dishes and shares some traditional recipes along with more modern and revisited ones. If you already know how to cook traditional tagines and are ready for a little fun and creativity, this tagine cookbook is the one you should go for.
My husband – who is a traditional brazier-cooked tagine aficionado – was quite skeptical at the beginning when I told him about my duck tagine with pears and cinnamon. Well let me tell you, he loved it! And he also loved the other tagines I made from this cookbook.
You can find Ghillie’s Modern Tagine Cookbook here.
3- Little Moroccan Things Digital Tagine Cookbook
If you are looking for a Moroccan cookbook in a digital / pdf version, either to print into recipe cards or to have it with you all the time, this digital tagine cookbook is a perfect choice.
It focuses on Morocco’s most popular and loved recipes – tagines, pastries, and salads – and shares them in a recipe-card format that you can print and use in your kitchen. You won’t have as many recipes as in regular paper cookbooks, but there is still enough and for the price, it’s totally worth it. It also shares some very great tips for using a traditional clay tagine pot and protecting it in the long run.
You can get Little Moroccan Things’ Tagine Cookbook here.
4- Vegetarian Tagines & Couscous by Ghillie Basan
When you know Moroccan people you know that the vast majority of them is into meat, poultry, and fish. And most famous Moroccan dishes incorporate these ingredients. For someone who is looking for Moroccan plant-based recipes, it can feel limiting at first.
But what most people don’t know is that Moroccan cuisine has also some very delicious and hearty vegetarian dishes. In fact, most Moroccan salads and side dishes are vegetarian – and they are as emblematic and essential in a Moroccan menu as are the tagines and couscous dishes.
If you are looking for amazing vegetarian inspiration, Ghillie’s Vegetarian tagines and Couscous cookbook is great. It encompasses most of Moroccan cuisine’s vegan options along with some modern variations. It’s the perfect cookbook for vegans, but also for anyone who wants to reduce their weekly meat intake and consume more veggies and fruits.
The recipes are also very easy to make, making it a great cookbook for beginners.
You can find Ghillie’s Vegetarian Tagines and Couscous Cookbook here.