Sugar

Coming from Sweden, I’m used to juice, yoghurt and tea tasting like juice, yoghurt and tea. But in Morocco, they mostly taste of sugar.

Freshly squeezed juice is sweet and pleasant. I don’t think it needs any extra sugar, but the staff usually think it does. If you don’t want added sugar in your juice, just say so.

I always order tea without sugar. Sometimes I get it anyway. This happens even when a Moroccan orders tea for me, so it’s not a language barrier. Fortunately, however, it’s no problem to get a new cup of tea without sugar.

If you want a little sugar in your tea, I recommend asking for the sugar on the side, as what Moroccans call ‘a little sugar’ is actually a huge amount.

The breakfast served in cafés comes with a small pot of fruit-flavoured yoghurt. This yoghurt is always sweetened. I bring my own unsweetened yoghurt, which I buy in the shop.

One amusing thing about buying unsweetened yoghurt is that the shopkeeper usually points it out, just to make sure I haven’t picked up the wrong one by mistake.

Ketchup

Another thing that is far too sweet, and which overpowers what is essentially tasty, is ketchup. They usually always put ketchup on baked potatoes. Even when it comes to sandwiches, they sometimes put ketchup on them. If you don’t like ketchup, it’s safest to ask the staff not to put any on.

Chocolate sauce

While I’m on a roll with my whining, I might as well mention chocolate sauce. It’s not impossible that you’ll get chocolate sauce on your zaza, zaza baladi or fruit salad. If you don’t like it, it’s best to let them know.

Something nice

Oh no, there were a lot of complaints in this text. To end on a positive note, I’ll change the subject and say: I love living in Morocco and speaking Rifiya.