Can coeliacs and gluten-free travellers eat safely in Morocco?

I'll be honest because coeliac disease is serious, not a preference: Morocco is one of the more challenging cuisines for strict gluten-free eating, mainly because bread and couscous (which is wheat semolina, not naturally gluten-free as some assume) are the absolute heart of the table. They're served with everything, and kitchens aren't generally set up to think about cross-contamination the way coeliac-aware restaurants in some countries are. So this needs planning — but with planning, my coeliac guests do eat safely and well.

The good news is that a large amount of Moroccan cooking is naturally gluten-free at its base. A tagine is essentially meat or vegetables slow-cooked with spices — no flour. Grilled meats and fish (brochettes, mechoui), eggs, cooked and raw vegetable salads, olives, lentils and beans, rice, nuts and fruit are all naturally safe. The trick is making sure nothing wheat-based has crept in: bread used as a thickener or scoop, couscous as a side, or shared utensils and surfaces dusted with flour.

My number-one tool is a proper translation card. Have a clear, well-translated card in French and Arabic explaining that you have coeliac disease (la maladie cœliaque), cannot eat any wheat, barley or rye, including bread, couscous, semolina, flour and any trace, and that this is a medical condition, not a diet. Hand it over at every meal. Most staff respond seriously once they grasp it's a health matter. I also coach guests to order single, simply prepared ingredients — "this fish, just grilled, with these vegetables, no bread, no flour" — which sidesteps mystery sauces.

Cross-contamination is the realistic risk to manage. Communal bread baskets, the same surfaces used for rolling pastry, and fryers shared with breaded items are the usual culprits. I steer coeliac guests toward riads and good restaurants where the kitchen can dedicate attention, and away from busy street stalls where you can't verify how things are prepared. Booking riad dinners in advance is gold — given notice, a riad cook will happily prepare a fully gluten-free meal from scratch, and these have been some of my guests' favourite evenings.

A few practicalities: bring a stash of your own gluten-free snacks and crackers for travel days and emergencies, as dedicated gluten-free products are scarce outside large city supermarkets. Carry your usual medications. And tell us when you book — we brief every riad and key restaurant on your route ahead of arrival, so you're walking into kitchens that already know you're coming and what you need. It turns a stressful prospect into a safe, enjoyable one.