Algerian cuisine
Algerian cuisine includes multiple flavors and influences, reflecting the country's history and position at the crossroads of the Mediterranean.
[2][3][4] Algerian cuisine offers a variety of dishes depending on the region and the season, but vegetables and cereals remain at its core.
Most of the Algerian dishes are centered around bread, meats (lamb, beef or poultry), olive oil, vegetables, and fresh herbs.
[9][10][11] Vegetables that are commonly used include potatoes (batata/betetè), carrots (zrodiya/sennariya), turnip (lefft), onions (bsel/besla), tomatoes (tomatish/tømètish/t'matem), zucchini (corget/qar'a /khyar), garlic (ethoum), cabbages (cromb), eggplant (bidenjan), olives (zéton), pennyroyal (fliou), cardoon (korchef), broad bean (fool), chickpea (homoss), Artichoke (qarnoun) and chili pepper (felfel).
Sardines, hake, shrimp, octopus, tuna and cod are the main items of seafood commonly eaten in Algerian cuisine, mostly in stews or fried.
These starters are generally soups (most famously chorba) but also include kemia, some small dish of offal (such as liver or kidneys) or carrots with cumin (zorodiyya mcharmla).
[15] The dish can be prepared in many ways, generally with a sauce with beef or lamb and zucchini, carrots, chickpeas and green bean, chicken, lentils and black-eyed pea.
Couscous can also be consumed in a masfouf (or thameqfoult in Kabyle), a dry version with no sauce and vegetables such as broad beans, peas or also with raisins and dates, traditionally along with fermented milk.
Several pasta dishes can be found in the traditional Algerian cuisine: rechta, chakhchoukha, berkoukes, tikourbabine (also called asban), Aftir oukessoul[16] tlitli or trida.
Tajine or djouez are traditional dishes prepared in a stew or cooked in a similar way, originally in an earthen pot.
Other famous dishes include Koubeb (chicken cooked in a white sauce with cinnamon and chickpeas and served with thick fries and parsley), zviti, marqa bel a'assel (a speciality from Tlemcen).
These traditional Algerian soups are served at the beginning of the meal as an entree and are mainly prepared from lamb, mutton or chicken, chickpeas, tomatoes, vermicelli, wheat, spices and different vegetables and legumes.
The tamina is a kind of paste made with semolina, butter, hror or other spices and honey, usually served after a woman gave birth.
M'semen, sfenj or baghrir are generally served with tea and can be topped with honey, jam or even olive oil and sugar.
[23] Algeria previously produced a large quantity of Algerian wine during the French colonization but production has decreased since its independence; Alcohol consumption is frowned upon in Algeria but is not legally prohibited, which does not prevent the winegrower from producing a wide variety of wines mainly from the slopes of Mascara, Médéa and Tlemcen.
[24] Algerian cuisine is characterized by its use of flavorful spices and herbs, and a variety of sauces play an important role in many dishes.
Dersa is a milder sauce that is made from garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and a variety of herbs such as parsley, cilantro, and mint.
Zaalouk: a traditional dip used in Algeria made from eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, and spices, typically served as an appetizer or side dish.
Chermoula, a marinade made from garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, and spices, commonly used to flavor seafood and meat dishes.
In some parts of Algeria, hmiss is also made with the addition of spices such as cumin and paprika, giving it a unique regional variation.
Khubz-ftir, raqâq, rfîs or tarîd—well-kneaded, unleavened dough, baked for half a minute on a convex sheet of brass or iron, balanced on stones over a fire.
