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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.
The story
Hailing from Biskra, the gateway to the Sahara, and the foothills of the Aurès Mountains, Chakhchoukha is the ultimate ceremonial dish of eastern Algeria. It is traditionally presented in immense painted wooden dishes called gasba at weddings, Eid al-Fitr, and grand family gatherings to symbolize unity and hospitality. Authenticity hinges on rougage (or trid)—paper-thin semolina flatbreads baked in stacked layers on an inverted clay tajine, then torn into irregular bite-sized flakes that absorb the deeply spiced tomato and lamb marrow sauce.
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