Traditional Lunch With Berber Pizza in Rissani

Berber pizza or medfouna is a traditional dish originating from Morocco, and it is believed that its true birthplace is Rissani, a small oasis town near the northwest edge of Sahara. Although it’s called a pizza, this is more of a stuffed flatbread that’s similar to calzone or stromboli.
The flatbread dough is stuffed with beef or lamb, diced onions, and various spices, and it’s then baked in a fire pit until done, while many restaurants and local Berbers cook it in a mud oven. Fried almonds and hard-boiled eggs are welcome, but optional additions.

The name medfouna means buried, referring to the ingredients that are buried or hidden in the flatbread dough. Once prepared, Berber pizza is cut into slices, and it’s usually accompanied by hot mint tea, which is believed to be a palate balancer that will contrast the flavor of fat from the meat.