African cuisine part 11: North Africa – Algeria

Algeria is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders on the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Tunisia to the northeast, Libya to the east, Niger to the southeast, Mali, Mauritania and Western Sahara to the southwest, and Morocco to the west.

The capital Algiers is located in the far north on the Mediterranean coast. Although Algeria is the largest country in Africa, most Algerians live in a narrow band near the sea. Along this fertile strip between the coast and the Atlas Mountains agriculture takes place. South of the Atlas Mountains is a steppe landscape ending with the Saharan Atlas and further south the Sahara Desert.

Kesra is flatbread prepared with Tagine zitoun is a typical Algerian stew prepared using lamb or chicken and olives as the chief ingredients. (Source: https://travelfoodatlas.com/algerian-food)

Mahdjouba is an Algerian flatbread typically filled with a combination of onion, garlic, tomato, peppers and spices. (Source: https://travelfoodatlas.com/algerian-food)

Rainfall along the coast ranges from 400 to 670 mm annually, and up to 1 000 mm in some years in the northern part of eastern Algeria. Between the mountains are sand dunes with winds and high temperatures of up to 43,3 °C in summer.

Algerian cuisine is similar to the cuisines of its neighbours Morocco and Tunisia and is strongly influenced by Turkish and French cuisine. They love their greens, olives and olive oil, as well as aromatic herbs and spices. Since Algeria is a Muslim state, they do not eat pork or drink alcohol. Locals prefer green tea, milk, various juices and coffee. The dishes depend on the region and season, and include couscous, fresh vegetables and herbs, bread, lamb, beef or poultry and olive oil. Vegetables are used for salads, soups, tajines, and sauce-based dishes.

Couscous is made from durum wheat semolina that is steamed for about ten minutes and served with meat stew with vegetables like potatoes, carrots and zucchini. Sometimes black-eyed peas are added, or it is enjoyed with buttermilk. A variety of dishes are made from couscous – from side dishes to lamb and beef and sweet desserts. It all
depends on what is added which can be vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, raisins, fruits and nuts.

Mahdjouba is an Algerian flatbread typically filled with a combination of onion, garlic, tomato, peppers and spices. (Source:
https://travelfoodatlas.com/algerian-food)

01 Breads

The common name for all flour dishes is khobz (hobs) which translates as bread. Bread is used instead of cutlery to mop up gravy and sauce. Algerians often use bread instead of cutlery: it is convenient for them to collect gravy and sauce. Khobz el Dar is an easy noknead semolina bread sprinkled with sesame seeds. It is soft and slightly sweet.
Kesra is flatbread prepared with baker’s yeast and olive oil and finely ground semolina and water. It is fried in a hot cast-iron pan and served with soups, vegetable salads and cold drinks.

Mahdjouba or Mhajeb is a flatbread is similar to a French crêpe that is made with semolina. It is typically filled with a combination of onion, garlic, tomato, peppers and spices. It is a popular street food.

Kesra is a type of Algerian bread made from semolina and wate and fried in a hot cast-iron pan. (Source: https://travelfoodatlas.com/algerian-food)

02 Meat and vegetable dishes

Merguez is a sausage made of lamb or beef and seasoned with spices> (Source: https://travelfoodatlas.com/algerian-food)

Dersa is a spicy garlic and chili paste made by blending garlic, chili, cumin and paprika in a mortar and pestle, and mixed with olive oil, it is used as seasoning for fish, meat, or potatoes. Sometimes lemon juice and or parsley are added. Poulet Roti a l’Algerienne consists of a whole chicken is rubbed with Dijon mustard, olive oil, onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar and spices and roasted in the oven. It is served with roasted potatoes.

Tajin Zitoune is made in a variety of ways, depending on the location. It consists of minced chicken, beef, lamb or fish and it is prepared in a tagine, or terracotta pot. Olives, potatoes and mushrooms, and or onions, carrots, and other vegetables are added, and it is seasoned with lemon juice, saffron or turmeric, cinnamon, thyme and bay leaves. Sometimes a white or red sauce is included.

Chorba Frik is a soup made with tomatoes, Frik, a type of green-coloured wheat, coriander, onions, celery, meat and chickpeas. (Source: https://travelfoodatlas.com/algerian-food)

Tajine de Poulet aux Carottes et Patates Douces consists of chicken thighs cooked on a bed of spiced onions, then roasted with carrots and sweet potatoes. Raisins and prunes are sometimes added for a sweet touch. Chorba Hamra bel Frik or Freekeh is hearty stew with meat, vegetables, and spices. Most families prepare it every day of Ramadan. It is made with tomatoes, coriander, onions. Celery, meat and chickpeas and eaten with Freekeh or Bourek.

Bourek refers to a range of pastry dishes made are made by layering thin phyllo dough, with fillings such as cheese, minced meat, spinach and seasonings. (Source: https://travelfoodatlas.com/algerian-food)

Borek or Bourek is a crisp pastry dish made with thin layers of phyllo dough stuffed with melty feta cheese or seasoned minced meat, spinach and seasonings, along with a creamy egg yogurt mix and baked into a crisp and flaky pie-like dish. It is often served with chorba during Ramadan. Lamb Borek is filled with seasoned ground lamb. Merguez is a sausage made of lamb or beef and seasoned with spices. Pork is never used because of the Muslim tradition. The sausage has become popular as street food in France where it is served inside a bun or with French fries.

Dolma consists of vegetables, like zucchini or potato, peppers and tomatoes stuffed with meat and cooked in a cinnamon-flavoured white sauce.

Kefta is a meatball dish prepared with tomato sauce, garlic and pepper and served with a baguette. (Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/best-algerian-recipes/)

Kefta is a meatball dish prepared with tomato sauce, garlic and pepper and served with a French baguette.

Rechta is prepared using pasta made with durum wheat semolina, flour and eggs. It is cut into thin strips, a common characteristic of the eastern Maghreb that includes Algeria and Tunisia. The noodles are cooked in a cinnamon flavoured white sauce and is usually accompanied by chicken and vegetables like turnips and zucchini.

Algerian carrots are prepared with cinnamon, cumin, garlic, and bay leaf, then finished with lemon juice. (Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/best-algerian-recipes/)

Algerian carrots are prepared with cinnamon, cumin, garlic, and bay leaf, then finished with lemon juice. Chtitha Batata is a potato stew made with dersa and vegetables, fish or meat. The dish includes a base of potatoes prepared in a red sauce of onions, tomato puree, paprika and chickpeas. Sometimes meat is added to the sauce and flavoured with salt, pepper and cumin. The broth is allowed to cook until it is thick, and it is then added on top of the potatoes.

03 Sweets

Dziriat is an almond-filled cookie made with flour and butter or vegetable oil and eggs, the latter which may be omitted. Cornes de Gazelle are crescent-shaped cookies with a sweet almond-orange blossom filling and topped with crushed pistachios.