Khobz: Everyday Bread

• The standard bread served with a Moroccan meal is khobz, hobz or khubz. This simple flatbread made with semolina flour accompanies main meals, particularly tagines. Traditionally, khobz is made at home and then taken to a local bakery to be baked. Sesame or anise seeds can be added to khobz to give them a little additional flavor.

Beghrir for Breakfast

• Like khobz, beghrir or baghrir are made from semolina flour. Unlike khobz, however, beghrir are light, delicate pancakes served for breakfast in Moroccan cafes. They are usually served with a sweet topping such as jam or honey and should be eaten hot out of the pan. The traditional topping for beghrir is a warm mixture of honey and butter.

European Connections

• European cuisine has had a large influence on Moroccan cooking. This is especially evident in a popular snack food, bocadillo. The bocadillo is a type of sandwich, usually made with a French-style baguette. Bocadillos are also common in Spain. Common fillings include salad or seafood, as well as potato-and-egg omelette. Confusingly for Americans, this type of omelette is called a tortilla.

Other Breads

• Although khobz, beghrir and baguettes are common breads served with Moroccan meals, they're far from the only types of Moroccan bread. For instance, Tangier street bread, or kalinte, is a thick pancake made from chickpea flour. Batbout are another circular flatbread which resemble pita bread; they are made with either wheat or semolina flour. Different regions of Morocco also have their own regional specialties and variations on these common recipes.