How do I communicate my dietary needs in Morocco with the language barrier?

The language question is the one that worries people most, and the practical answer is straightforward: French is your tool. Morocco's restaurant, riad and tourism world runs heavily on French alongside Arabic, so a French phrase or note will be understood almost everywhere you eat, even when English is patchy. Darija (Moroccan Arabic) covers the rest, including kitchen staff and smaller local places. Between French and a few Arabic words, you can communicate any dietary need clearly.

For anything serious — a nut allergy, coeliac, severe shellfish allergy — I never rely on spoken phrases alone. I give clients a printed translation card in both French and Arabic stating the allergy and its severity, e.g. 'J'ai une allergie grave aux noix / lait / gluten — cela peut me rendre très malade' alongside the Arabic equivalent. You hand it over before ordering. A written card removes the risk of mispronunciation, accent or a noisy kitchen, and Moroccan staff respond to it seriously and helpfully. This single card is the most valuable thing you can carry.

For everyday preferences, a handful of phrases go a long way. Useful French: 'je suis végétarien/végétarienne' (vegetarian), 'sans viande' (no meat), 'sans lait' (no milk), 'sans gluten' (no gluten), 'sans piquant' (not spicy), 'sans sucre' (no sugar). Useful Arabic: 'bla lham' (no meat), 'bla harr' (not spicy), 'bla sukar' (no sugar). Even imperfect attempts are warmly received — Moroccans are gracious about food and will work hard to get it right once they understand what you need.

The highest-leverage move, though, is communicating in advance rather than at the table. I always tell the riad and any pre-booked restaurants about dietary needs at the time of booking, in writing, so the kitchen plans for you instead of improvising under pressure. Translation apps on your phone are a good backup for unusual requests. Combine an advance heads-up, a printed card for serious allergies, and a few spoken phrases, and the language barrier around food essentially disappears.