Breakfast in Morocco depends much on whom you are staying with. I hesitate to use the word "traditional", because tradition varies from family to family and region to region. Unless you are staying in a soulless chain hotel that caters to tourists, chances are your breakfast there, no matter what it consists of, will be delicious.
There is, however, one constant that links all types of breakfast together. This is...bread. (Surprise, surprise). Some people (more and more people nowadays) buy their bread from any one of the numerous patisseries/boulangeries that dot most neighborhoods. Others make their own bread at home. Either way, here is a list of the different types of breads you might encounter at the breakfast table (and each deserves its own blog, eventually):
--Baguette or other store-bought bread
--Croissant or pain au chocolat: The ones I've had in Casa rival any in Paris; in fact, it's pretty damn near impossible to have bad bread or pastry, in Casablanca, at least.
--Khobz dar or pain maison: Homemade bread, either made from white flour (modern, diabetes-inducing practice) or whole wheat (traditional, much better for you). Sesame seeds or anise may be added to the dough or sprinkled on top.
--Msimmen/melaoui: Whether round or square, these little packets of goodness will make you swoon, especially when drizzled with honey. Can be made either from white flour or from a mix of smida (semolina) and white flour. Oil, lots of it, is key to its successful preparation. Some people put small pieces of khli (a type of beef jerky) in this before they cook it. NOTE: some people call these rghaif, although in my experience rghaif is made with yeast (msimmen is not) and is usually thicker.
--Harcha: Little round breads made of smida. They can be very small, regular sized, or immense. The latter is what you will often see for sale from street vendors: a griddle-size cake is made, and then your piece is cut off. At home, most people make the smaller version. Lovely with honey and butter, with a nice, grainy texture.
--Batbout: small breads similar to pita; can be made with white flour or a mix of semolina and white flour; many people make tiny ones and stuff them with various savory fillings for a light dinner or appetizer.
--Baghrir: yeasty pancakes that are cooked on one side only. Again, when subjected to the divine honey/butter treatment, these become extraordinary.
--Sfinj: a rather oily donut that is nonetheless delicious, especially when eaten with some Kiri. Most people do not make these at home, but send someone out to buy them fresh.
Other things you might find on the table: Kiri or Laughing Cow cheese; butter, honey, and jam; sometimes olives or dates; argan oil (a type of oil extracted from the fruit of a tree of the same name); olive oil; amlou (a Berber dish made from argan oil and crushed almonds; it has a soupy consistency and tastes rather like peanut butter).
A typical city breakfast will likely consist of bread with honey, butter, and jam and mint tea and/or coffee with milk at the bare minimum. Some people even add cornflakes or other breakfast cereals. This is definitely not traditional by any standards. Still, it's becoming popular with kids (but at 30-65 dirhams a box, not too many people can afford this luxury item).
Many people, especially in the country, enjoy heavier breakfasts as they need the energy for their busy day. This sort of breakfast may consist of a soup such as harira or hsoua, a grain and milk-based soup (this WILL get its own blog because most non-Moroccans have never heard of it). Alternately, people may dine on khli with eggs, or even a meaty tagine! (No joke: Moroccans like their meat. A good friend of Berber origin remembers eating at least two tagines for breakfast and "snack"--all before noon!)
Occasionally, cookies and cakes may decorate the breakfast table, but I've found that this is the exception rather than the norm. Again, it all depends on the family.
In addition to the tea and coffee mentioned above, juices both fresh and packaged are likely to be present. A quick note on packaged juices: it is extremely difficult to find juice that does not have sugar added to it in Morocco. A couple of Spanish brands (I think one is called Juver) offer more or less natural juice, but if sugar is a problem, READ CAREFULLY. (And people wonder why diabetes is a growing problem in the bled...)
Cold milk, fresh fruit, and omelets are not things that you will readily find for breakfast, unless you are staying in a hotel or in a house where the people know of your preferences.
A few restaurants/cafes in Casablanca have amazing breakfast menus. Yes, they are overpriced, but if you can afford to splurge, do it. You can find these menus at Venezia ice-cream parlors (on the Corniche and by the Twin Towers) and also at my beloved yet sleazy Brioche Doree, but if you REALLY want the royal treatment, go to La Sqala. It's on the coastal road right in front of the port. It's an old fortress, hence its name, so it's pretty hard to miss.
Besides having a very nice menu, this restaurant offers a rare corner of solace in hectic Casablanca. Once you enter the fort, you'll find yourself in a tranquil garden with fountains and flowers. You will forget you're in Casa (and if you've been there for a while, this can be a good thing, no offense intended).
All this talk of breakfast has made me ravenous. Recipes for some of the above breads/dishes forthcoming.
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