North Africa
Algeria
Berber, Ottoman and French threads braid through Algeria's couscous, chorba and honeyed pastries.
Staples
- Seksu or Ta'am (steamed durum semolina couscous)
- Kesra / Aghroum (unleavened semolina griddle flatbread)
- Frik (roasted green durum wheat grain)
- Chakhchoukha and Trida (torn or cut thin semolina dough leaves)
- Hommes (dried chickpeas simmered in stews)
Seasonings
- Ras el Hanout (complex aromatic spice blend)
- Dersa (pounded garlic, cumin, and red chili paste)
- Smen (aged, fermented, salted clarified butter)
- Qerfa (Ceylon cinnamon, central to white sauces)
- Harissa (spicy pounded red chili and garlic paste)
Techniques
- Tafouar: multi-stage steaming over simmering broth
- Slow-braising meats in rich marka broths
- Tadwira: emulsifying broths with egg and lemon
- Charring and peeling peppers for hmiss salads
At the table
Meals are traditionally prepared by women and eaten communally around a low circular table called a mida, where diners use torn pieces of warm kesra or spoons to share a central platter of couscous or meat stew. In the coastal north, plates feature subtle, cinnamon-scented white sauces (marka bayda), whereas southern and eastern tables center on fiery, tomato-based red stews poured over torn bread leaves like chakhchoukha.
32 recipes across 7 courses
Ask AI for moreBreakfast
Msemmen (Laminated Flaky Square Semolina Crepes)
Multi-layered square flatbreads made from fine semolina, laminated with butter and griddled until golden, crisp on outside and tender within.
Rouina (Toasted Ground Wheat and Barley Porridge with Butter and Honey)
A wholesome, deeply nutty warm breakfast paste crafted from wood-toasted cereal grains bound with melted pasture butter and wildflower honey.
Sfenj (Spongy Deep-Fried Semolina Fritters)
Crispy golden rings with a light, chewy, honeycomb-structured crumb, dusted with fine sugar or drizzled with warm honey.
Soup
Chorba Frik (Cracked Green Wheat Soup with Lamb)
A smoky, velvety tomato broth loaded with tender lamb cubes and thickened with nutty, fire-roasted cracked green wheat.
Dobara Biskria (Spicy Simmered Chickpea and Fava Bean Broth)
A fiery, tangy desert broth loaded with tender pulses, crushed cumin, harissa, fresh tomatoes, and an abundant drizzle of raw olive oil.
Hrira Oranaise (Velvety Sourdough-Thickened Spiced Lamb Soup)
A velvety, aromatic western Algerian soup rich with shredded lamb, chickpeas, and a tangy fermented sourdough levain finish.
Main
Bakbouka (Spiced Tripe and Offal Stew with Zucchini and Chickpeas)
A rich Algerian stew of tender lamb offal, chickpeas, and zucchini simmered in a pungent garlic-caraway dersa.
Chakhchoukha de Biskra (Torn Thin Flatbread in Spicy Lamb and Chickpea Broth)
Silky hand-torn rougage sheets soaked in a fiery, fragrant red broth brimming with tender lamb, chickpeas, and ras el hanout.
Cherchem (Simmered Wheat Berries and Mixed Legumes Stew)
A hearty, ancient Amazigh stew of tender whole wheat kernels and mixed pulses slow-cooked in a spiced, cumin-scented broth.
Couscous Algérien au Mouton (Algerian Lamb Couscous with Vegetables)
Tender spiced lamb and sweet root vegetables simmered in rich red broth beneath fluffy, twice-steamed semolina.
L'ham Lahlou (Sweet Lamb Tagine with Dried Prunes, Apricots, and Orange Blossom)
Tender morsels of lamb simmered in a spiced cinnamon-sugar syrup enriched with plumped dried fruits and fragrant orange blossom water.
Mtewem (Garlic-Infused Meatballs and Lamb Chunks with Almonds)
A regal Algerian white stew featuring garlic-laced beef meatballs, tender lamb shanks, and blanched almonds in rich cumin broth.
Rechta Algéroise (Handmade Thin Steamed Noodles with Chicken, Turnips, and Cinnamon Sauce)
Silken, hand-cut semolina noodle ribbons steamed over a delicately spiced white broth enriched with chicken, tender sweet turnips, and cinnamon.
Sardines Mchermla (Pan-Fried Sardines Marinated in Spicy Dersa and Vinegar)
Crispy, semolina-crusted butterflied sardines sandwiched with a pungent, vinegar-spiked garlic and chili dersa paste.
Tajine Zitoune (Braised Chicken with Green Olives and Mushrooms in Lemon-Saffron Sauce)
Succulent braised chicken thighs in a fragrant saffron and cinnamon veloute, studded with blanched green olives and earthy mushrooms.
Tbikha (Spring Medley of Artichoke Hearts, Fava Beans, and Peas in Spicy Garlic Sauce)
A vibrant spring ragout of tender artichokes, sweet peas, and fava beans simmered in a piquant garlic-paprika emulsion bound by rice.
Trida (Steamed Square Pasta Flakes with Chicken, Chickpeas, and Hard-Boiled Eggs)
Delicate handmade square pasta steamed over a spiced chicken and chickpea broth, finished by braising the pasta until every drop is absorbed.
Zviti / Tchertchoukha de M'Sila (Crushed Flatbread, Hot Peppers, and Garlic Pounded in a Wooden Mortar)
A fiery nomadic dish from M'Sila consisting of flame-charred chilies, garlic, and hot unleavened semolina flatbread pounded in a tall wooden mehraz.
Side
Aghrum Oufourki (Kabyle Hearth Bread Stuffed with Wild Spring Greens and Herbs)
A rustic Berber semolina flatbread packed with seasonal wild greens, fragrant herbs, and olive oil, griddled crisp over an open flame.
Dersa (Pounded Garlic, Dried Red Chili, Cumin, and Paprika Paste)
A pungent, fiery Algerian mortar-pounded spice paste that forms the aromatic foundation for classic coastal stews and seafood dishes.
Kesra Rakhsis (Unleavened Semolina Galette with Olive Oil)
Crisp-crusted, nutty, short-textured semolina flatbread scored with a fork and toasted over dry heat on a ridged tajine.
Khlii Algérien (Cured, Spiced, and Sun-Dried Beef Preserved in Suet)
An ancient Aurès mountain preserved beef, dry-cured with warm spices, wind-dried, and confited in seasoned rendered tallow.
Khobz ed-Dar (Soft Anise and Nigella Seed Semolina Egg Bread)
A pillowy, golden Algerian semolina bread perfumed with orange blossom, anise, and nigella seeds, baked for festive celebrations.
Klila (Sun-Dried Crushed Fermented Goat-Milk Curd)
Ancient sun-cured, intensely tangy fermented goat curd nuggets crushed into rustic stews or savory porridges.
Taguella (Ash-Baked Desert Hearth Bread)
A dense, smoky Saharan hearth bread baked directly under hot sand and acacia embers, then crushed into savory broths.
Dessert
Ghoriba (Crumbly Semolina-Almond Shortbread Scented with Cinnamon)
Sand-textured, melt-in-the-mouth semolina and almond cookies topped with fragrant cinnamon cracks.
Makroudh el Koucha (Oven-Baked Semolina Date Pastries with Orange Blossom)
Melt-in-the-mouth baked semolina diamonds filled with spiced date paste, embossed with wooden stamps and soaked in orange blossom honey.
Tamina (Toasted Semolina and Honey Sweet with Cinnamon and Dragées)
A fragrant, comforting Algerian confection of golden toasted semolina emulsified with melted butter, wildflower honey, and orange blossom water.
Drink
Atai bi Na'na (Frothy Maghrebi Gunpowder Green Tea with Fresh Mint)
A ceremonial, golden-amber green tea brewed with fresh spearmint and poured from height to create a velvety crown of foam called rezza.
Cherbet Boufarik (Fresh Lemonade Scented with Orange Blossom Water and Milk)
A velvety, iconic Algerian citrus elixir infused with fragrant orange blossom water and a touch of milk to soften the bright lemon acidity.
Street food
Karantika (Spiced Chickpea Flour Flan)
A beloved Oranais street-food bake featuring a silken, custardy chickpea base topped with a blistered, deeply savory cumin-scented crust.
Mhadjeb (Flaky Semolina Crepes Filled with Spiced Onions and Tomatoes)
Tissue-thin, layered semolina crepes folded into neat parcels around a spicy, caramelized onion and sweet tomato filling.