Africa

Snacks from Morocco

Moroccan snacking is a sfenj, a chewy fried doughnut from a street vat, and kaab el ghazal, almond 'gazelle horns' with orange blossom. Chebakia, sesame-honey coils, own Ramadan. Sellou, roasted-flour energy, is a bowl. Msemen and baghrir with honey and butter are the griddle. Mint tea is the law. This is orange blossom and fried dough, not a generic 'North African pastry' dump from Algiers.

Updated August 27, 2026

Signature snacks: Sfenj, Kaab el ghazal, Chebakia, Baghrir
Flavor palette: orange blossom, sesame honey, fried dough
When people snack: sfenj in the morning and chebakia at Ramadan dusk
What travelers buy: kaab el ghazal, chebakia, amlou, packed sellou, sfenj eaten hot

What to try first

Sfenj Chewy fried dough rings, often eaten with sugar or honey, a morning street buy.
Kaab el ghazal Crescent pastries of almond paste and orange blossom, the gazelle horn.
Chebakia Flower-shaped fried sesame cookies soaked in honey, a Ramadan essential.
Baghrir Thousand-hole semolina pancakes, butter and honey, a tea snack.
Msemen Square laminated flatbreads, sweet or stuffed, from griddle stalls.
Sellou (sfouf) Roasted flour, almond, and sesame mix, an energy snack-dessert.
Amlou Argan, almond, and honey paste from the Souss, eaten on bread.

The doughnut has no hole sometimes

Sfenj is elastic, oily, bought by the piece from a man with a vat. It is not a French beignet and not Algerian zalabia. Kaab el ghazal is the pastry-shop crescent, almond and blossom water. Chebakia takes over Ramadan, honey and sesame, a coil that stains fingers.

Baghrir’s holes exist to drink butter and honey. Amlou is argan country’s spread. Pack gazelle horns, chebakia, and amlou. Sfenj is a morning. Keep Algeria’s makroud off the first line; Morocco’s street doughnut is sfenj.

Questions about snacks from Morocco

What snacks is Morocco known for?

Sfenj, kaab el ghazal, chebakia, baghrir, msemen, sellou, and amlou.

What is sfenj?

A chewy Moroccan fried dough, sold in the street, often sprinkled with sugar, a morning snack.

When is chebakia eaten?

Especially in Ramadan with harira, though shops sell it longer.

What Moroccan sweet travels?

Kaab el ghazal, chebakia, and amlou. Sfenj and baghrir are same-day.

From the journal

No tasting reviews from Morocco yet. This page is the research hub. When we eat something from here, the note will land in the journal and on this page.