Harvests & produce
Citrus Season in Morocco
Morocco is one of the world's great citrus countries, and from late autumn through winter its orchards — on the Souss plain around Agadir, the Gharb near Kenitra, and the Berkane region in the east — pour out oranges, mandarins and lemons in astonishing abundance. Citrus is both a major export and the fruit that defines the Moroccan winter table, eaten out of hand, squeezed to juice, and cooked into the food.
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- Season
- Harvests & produce
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- Citrus season runs from late autumn through winter into early spring.
- Morocco is a major citrus producer, famed for its clementines and mandarins.
- The Berkane region and its Nadorcott mandarin are especially prized.
- Both sweet and bitter (Seville) oranges have roles in the cuisine.
A country built on citrus
Citrus growing is one of Morocco's agricultural pillars. The warm, irrigated plains of the Souss, the Gharb and the eastern Berkane region produce vast crops of oranges and easy-peeling mandarins, much of it exported to Europe and beyond. For the traveller, the visible sign is winter markets and juice stalls buried under mountains of bright fruit, sold cheaply and eaten constantly.
The eastern town of Berkane has become synonymous with quality citrus, and the Nadorcott (or Afourer) mandarin developed in Morocco is now grown around the world.
The varieties and the season
The season unfolds in waves, each variety peaking in turn from autumn into spring.
- Clementines and mandarins: the early, easy-peeling stars of the season, sweet and seedless.
- Navel and Maroc-Late oranges: for eating and juicing, running deep into spring.
- Bitter (Seville) oranges: too sour to eat raw, used for marmalade, syrups and orange-blossom.
- Lemons: for cooking, drinks, and salting into preserved lemons.
- Nadorcott / Berkane mandarins: the prized late-season eastern fruit.
Citrus in the kitchen
Citrus runs right through Moroccan cooking, not just the fruit bowl. Preserved lemons — salted whole and matured until soft and intense — are essential to chicken tagines and countless dishes. Fresh orange, sliced and dusted with cinnamon and orange-blossom water, is a classic light dessert, and oranges pair with grated carrot, radish or olives in bright winter salads. Bitter oranges become marmalade and the blossom is distilled into the orange-flower water that scents Moroccan pastries and drinks.
For the winter side of the season see winter oranges and the vitamin season, and for cooking uses, our recipes.
Frequently asked questions
When is citrus season in Morocco?
Citrus season runs from late autumn through winter and into early spring. Clementines and mandarins come first, followed by navel and later oranges that carry on into spring, with bitter oranges and lemons available through the cold months. Winter is the peak for sweetness and abundance.
What citrus is Morocco famous for?
Morocco is renowned for its easy-peeling clementines and mandarins, especially from the eastern Berkane region. The Nadorcott (also called Afourer) mandarin was developed in Morocco and is now grown worldwide. The country is also a major exporter of navel and later-season oranges.
What are preserved lemons?
Preserved lemons are whole lemons packed in salt and their own juice and left to mature for weeks until the peel softens and mellows into a deep, savoury, intensely lemony ingredient. Diced peel is essential to Moroccan chicken tagines, especially the classic with olives, and to many other dishes.
How is orange eaten as a dessert in Morocco?
A classic light Moroccan dessert is fresh orange sliced into rounds and arranged on a plate, dusted with cinnamon and sometimes a little sugar, and sprinkled with orange-blossom water. Simple and refreshing, it makes the most of the sweet winter fruit and closes a rich meal gently.