The short answer
Because the left hand is traditionally kept for washing, so eating, giving and taking are done with the right. It is a deep habit everywhere in Morocco. As a visitor, use your right hand to eat from a shared dish, pass bread, hand over money and accept a glass of tea. Nobody will scold you for slipping, but people notice.
In more detail
The custom matters most at the table. Many Moroccan meals are eaten from a shared dish, with bread as the spoon. The etiquette is simple: right hand only, and eat from the part of the dish in front of you.
It extends to everyday exchanges too. Handing a shopkeeper money, giving a gift or taking change with the right hand is the polite form. Left-handed visitors get some leeway, but it is worth the effort when eating with a family.
Pair it with the other small courtesy that opens every exchange: say 'salam' before you ask anything. Launching straight into a question without a greeting feels abrupt.
Good to know
- Eat from the side of the shared dish in front of you.
- Give and take money with your right hand.
- Greet first, then ask.
- Pass bread and dishes to others with your right hand too.