Getting started
Shopping for Moroccan Ingredients Outside Morocco
You don't need to live in Morocco to cook Moroccan food authentically. Most staple spices are available everywhere, and the specialty items — preserved lemons, argan oil, ras el hanout, saffron — are easier to find than you might think. Knowing where to look is half the battle.
At a glance
- Middle Eastern/North African grocery shops are the best single source
- Online spice and food shops make specialty items accessible anywhere
- Buy saffron from reputable sellers — adulteration is common
- Make preserved lemons, ras el hanout and chermoula yourself — it's easy and better
Guide
Middle Eastern and North African grocery shops are the best single source. They carry preserved lemons, harissa, couscous (including medium and fine grades), filo and brick pastry (which substitutes for warqa), dried fava beans, orange blossom water, rose water, and a wide range of whole and ground spices at a fraction of supermarket prices. Most major cities have at least one such shop. If you don't have one nearby, Turkish, South Asian and general international grocery shops often carry overlapping stock.
Online retailers have made specialty items highly accessible. Moroccan and Middle Eastern food shops sell ras el hanout, saffron, argan oil, smen, nigella seeds, dried rosebuds and other hard-to-find items by post. Spice specialists offer excellent whole and blended spices. For saffron, buy from a reputable spice seller rather than a random marketplace listing — adulteration is common. For argan oil, ensure it is labelled 'culinary' (roasted), not cosmetic.
Some things are worth making yourself. Preserved lemons are trivially easy (lemons, salt, a jar, a month) and homemade are better than most shop-bought versions. Ras el hanout is simple to blend at home from commonly available whole spices. Chermoula uses fresh herbs, garlic, lemon and spices — all supermarket-available. Harissa can be made from dried chillies. The truly hard-to-source items are few: warqa pastry (use filo), khlii (make it yourself), and fresh Moroccan spearmint (grow it — it thrives in pots).
Practical tips
- 1
Find your nearest Middle Eastern or North African grocery — prices are much lower than supermarkets.
- 2
Buy whole spices and saffron from reputable online spice specialists.
- 3
Make preserved lemons at home: lemons, salt, a jar, a month. Dead simple and better than shop-bought.
- 4
Blend your own ras el hanout from commonly available whole spices.
- 5
Grow spearmint in a pot — it thrives and provides fresh mint whenever you need it.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy Moroccan ingredients?
Middle Eastern and North African grocery shops are the best single source. Online food and spice retailers are the next-best option. Many staple spices are also available in regular supermarkets.
Can I substitute warqa pastry?
Yes — filo pastry is the standard substitute and works well for pastilla and briouat. Brick pastry (from North African shops) is even closer. Warqa itself is rarely available outside Morocco.
Is it worth making ingredients from scratch?
For preserved lemons, ras el hanout and chermoula — absolutely. They are easy, cheap and better homemade. For khlii and smen, making them yourself is the only option in most countries.
Try the recipes
Put the tip into practice with these free step-by-step recipes: