Ten Must-try dishes in Zagora

Sand bread: the sand bread is kneaded by hand and then cooked in sand heated to 50° by hot stones or burning palm leaves. 

Dhen: This bread spread is prepared with goat butter, salt, onions and rosemary. It can be stored for a long time. 

Date syrup: Called Eroub by the nomads, it is made from dates that are cooked for a long time in a container with water until a syrup is formed. It is then drained to remove the remaining lumps. At the base, this product is a purely nomadic creation that became famous after its recovery by the cooperatives of the region. The date syrup is consumed with bread.   

Bouleghman: this snack is made of wheat or barley that is toasted in a large pan with sand. This wheat is then cleaned of its sand and ground. To transform it into Boulghman, this ground wheat is dissolved in hot water and Dhen (spread) or olive oil. This very nourishing food is eaten by nomads in the morning or evening and carried in their travel bags.  

Camel milk: This milk has an amazing characteristic. In addition to its benefits and its nourishing virtues (proved to be a superfood rich in proteins and vitamins C, iron… by the FAO), it is sweet and is perfectly adapted to asthmatics when the camel is one year old. On the other hand, it becomes salty and ideal for diabetics as soon as the camel is more than 2 years old. It can be obtained directly from the camel breeders of the nomadic tribes.

Klila: This nomadic dish is prepared from surplus camel milk. After it has been boiled, the milk is drained and the rest is collected. After it cools down, the nomads mix the remaining pieces with hard crushed dates. This preparation is called Klila.  

Zennaba: this meat dish is prepared after the ritual of slaughtering the sheep or goat. The nomads recover the offal which is cleaned and stuffed with meat. It is buried in heated coals and sand and cooked with a piece of broken bone put in the opening of the offal. Only the bone appears in this pile of embers allowing the meat to steam for about 2 hours.

Dromedary Tajine with dates : This festive dish originating from zagora is available in the desert areas more in summer than in winter due to a higher demand and a more frequent slaughter. A dromedary male can give up to 200 kg of meat prepared at the time of slaughter, as it cannot be preserved in the freezer.

Stuffed Pigeons : This is one of the most requested dishes by visitors to the Draa tafilalet region, especially in Zagora, the province of origin of this refined dish. These pigeons stuffed with meat or vegetables and angel hair require a fairly long preparation time. It takes 4 hours of preparation before tasting this refined dish reserved for special occasions. Pigeons are usually raised in a traditional way by the locals.

Aghroum Ntoudount or Bread with camel fat or Beef kidney fat : This bread is covered with a mixture of camel fat ( the most common camelied in the region ) or beef kidney fat. Other ingredients such as peppers, onions and spices are added and it is eaten in the morning for breakfast.