Algerian Cuisine

Algerian food noted for its diversity and uniqueness have influences of several cultures like French, Arabic, Ottoman, Berber, and Andalusian. Beef, lamb, fresh herbs, spices, vegetables, and bread form the basis of most of the dishes. Since Islam is one of the main religions practiced, most of the recipes found here have a tinge of Muslim influence.

Berber/Amazigh cuisine:
The berber way of cooking is very present in modern Algerian cuisine with its various dishes and deserts calling mainly for wheat, dates, beans, honey, clarified butter and semoulina. Dishes like couscous, chakhchoukha, baghrir, braj, sfenj are part of celebrations, and morning breakfasts.
Berber food culture is very unique as it combines both slow cooking of meat and vegetables and the steaming of food.

Andalusian influence:
Andalusians brought a new dimensions to the Algerian cuisine with rich combinations of sweet and savory flavors, new spices and techniques. Tajine lahlou is the ultimate example of the Andalusian influence. A sweet tajine composed of dry or fresh fruits (prunes, apricot, raisins, apples, pears , quinces), meat, spices, butter, honey and orange blossom water. Its alos prepared to mark the beggining of the wholy month of Ramadan symbolizing hoop.

Othoman Influence:
the Othoman presence in Algeria lasted for 3 centuries, beginning in 1551 when they came to help the local population fight the European invasions and took an ubrupt end in 1830 with the french conquest of the country. During this period Turkish installed a new urban cuisine that combined fine local ingredients with Turkish recipes. Nowdays, many Algerian dishes find their roots in the Othoman cuisine. For example the ramadan table in Algeria. Its a typical example of the turkish influence, with its various dolmas, boureks, turkish halwa, loukoum, mhalbi, and baklawa.

Ramadan:
Algerians truly believe and practice the saying of keeping the best for the last. In the wholly month of ramadan Algerian woman prepare a wide range of tajines, mixing and matching all types of meat, vegetables, dried and fresh fruits, combined with a huge number of sweet delicacies.
If one would really want to discover the true Algerian cuisine, one should visit an Algerian household during ramadhan where the cuisine goes back to its roots and noble and hidden dishes are cooked and passed down to a new generations.

French Influence:
The year 1830 saw the beginning of the French colonialism of Algeria that would last more than one century and would change the face of the country. The French populate Algeria with more European citizens with Italian, Spanish and Maltese immigrants who came to Algeria in search of a better life.

The new European settlers started to blend with the Algerian cooking techniques, giving birth to a true mediterranean kitchen. During this period the France also discovered the couscous and braught it to the rest of the world.
Algerian modern cuisine is very much influenced by this historical period of the country. The french baguette became a staple food in Algeria along side the kesra. Finger food filled with grilled pepper tomato, onion and its bonois cousin named Les caldis. This was sold by the maltese immigrants.