Algerian Food

One of my passions in Life has always been Food.  I love eating it but most importantly, I want to know where it comes from, how it was grown, how it was cooked and who cooked it.  Cooking methods are very important to me and I love watching people preparing their food, asking them why they do it in such a way; find out where these recipes come from and who handed them down from one generation to the next.

Algerian food is very healthy and very fresh.  In the part of the country that I travel to, seafood plays an important part in the population’s diet.  Anything from sardines, to prawns, red mullet, groper, langoustines, squid, cuttlefish, tuna, bonita and other abundant seafood is sold on the streets or in shops.  Daily arrivals of this commodity is kept cold on ice and the freshness of that produce is second to none.




Seafood Shop in Oran
 

I was driving through Ain-el-Turck one day with my friend Kader and saw a fishmonger on the footpath with two trays of freshly-caught sardines.  I couldn't resist the idea of sardines for lunch so we stopped and picked some up.  We went back to my friend's place and enjoyed a succulent meal of fried sardines.  To prepare these, you simply take their insides out, roll them in salted flour and shallow fry them in olive oil.  Once cooked, you take the whole sardine and eat each side of the fish before discarding the back bone and the head.  These can also be baked in an oven and eaten in the same fashion; simply delicious and so fresh.


Fresh Sardines



I was invited to my friend Mohamed's place for lunch one day.  His wife had prepared some fried red mullet and merlan in pretty much the same fashion as I described for the sardines.  Note the olives that accompanied the fish dish. The red mullet is widely found in the Mediterranean Sea.  It is a favoured delicacy in Algeria, and in antiquity, it was "one of the most valued fish for the Romans.  The merlan, commonly known to us as whiting, is also an important food fish in the Mediterranean basin.


Fried Whole Red Mullet and Merlan with Assorted Olives
 

I bought this lot of red mullet from a fisherman who had just arrived on the beach and was selling his catch.  We had these lightly salted, grilled whole and eaten that evening.  They were just delicious.


A catch of fresh Red Mullet

This is one of the many seafood platters that greet you when you arrive at my favourite restaurant in Arzew; "Les Gazelles".  That restaurant is located by the water and offers its patrons an uninterrupted view of the sea as you enjoy the many delicacies that the Chef has on offer for you.  Seafood of course is the restaurant's speciality and it is cooked in a huge variety of ways.  I go the Les Gazelles every year and my favourite dish is oven-baked Groper.  A truly delicious treat fit for a king and eaten in a most enjoyable atmosphere and with the greatest outlook. 



Seafood Platter at Les Gazelles Restaurant near Arzew
 

Fruit and vegetables are also abundant, of high quality and at very affordable prices.  The Algerian diet is very healthy and although there is a tendency to gradually move towards more processed foods, especially among the younger generations, the vast majority of the population still enjoys organically grown foods that are low in fats and high in fibre.

Local fruit stalls, located on the footpath are a common sight in Algeria.  This produce is usually sold by the farmers themselves or a member of the family.  In this instance, these organic peaches were grown locally and had been picked straight off the trees that morning.  The smell, the flavour and taste of these fruits were a pleasure one seldom can enjoy today. 

Stone Fruit Sold on the Footpath in Ain-el-Turck
 

Fresh figs mainly come in two varieties in Algeria; the green-skinned pictures below and the black-skinned.  There is a slight difference in taste but both varieties are delicious.  You can find dried figs but the vast majority of this fruit is eaten fresh.  These figs were available at the Kristel market and provided a tasty snack during our morning tea break.



Fresh Figs


Fresh herbs play an integral part in almost every Algerian dish.  The most popular ones are flat-leaf parsley and coriander which people use by the handfuls in their cooking.  Mint is also a must in Algerian cooking but also in the traditional sweet tea which is consumed in huge amount by the locals to celebrate any occasion from a meeting with friends at a café to a family reunion or a festive occasion.  Stalls selling fresh herbs can be found almost everywhere you go.

A Fresh Herb Merchant in Oran
 

Spices also play a major part in Algerian cooking.  The most commonly used spices are dried Red Chillies of different kinds, caraway, as el Hanout; a spice mix which plays a similar role in North African cuisine as Garam Masala does in Indian cuisine.  Ras el Hanout is used in many savoury dishes, sometimes rubbed on meat or fish, or stirred into couscous or rice.  Other spices such as Black Pepper, Cumin, Saffron, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cloves, and Cinnamon are also among the favourite spices you will find in Algerian cuisine.  Cayenne pepper, Ginger, Fennel, Caraway, Aniseed, Wild Parsley and Mint are also commonly used.  Spices are sold on the streets as well as spice shops and are available in bulk.  I prefer buying my spices in shops as they are displayed in more enclosed areas as in open air and one can really appreciate the full tantalising fragrances of the various spices on offer.


A Spice Merchant in Oran
 

In Algeria, olive trees have long been prized for their fruit and its oil.  Olives are prepared in a number of tasty ways and served on their own, or as an ingredient in the preparation of certain dishes. Olive production in Algeria is currently expanding and the production and processing of olives and olive oil is being modernised. There are currently 300 000 ha of olive groves in Algeria and, in 2007, the sector produced about 40.000 tones of olive oil and 100.000 tones of table olives.  Needless to say that you will always find olives on the table and at every meal.  Picked at different stages of maturity, prepared in many different ways and using specific blends of spices and herbs, olives are a must in the Algerian diet.  Here again, these are available in bulk and pretty much everywhere you go for your daily food shopping.

A Fresh Olive Merchant in Oran
 

In most open-air markets in Algeria, you will find a snail merchant.  Snails are commonly used in Algeria and are usually hand-picked in the countryside during rainy periods.  As a child, still living in Algeria, each time it rained, my family went to their favourite spots to collect snails.  Before they are cooked, the snails must first be prepared by purging them of the contents of their digestive system. To purge a snail, the usual method is a combination of fasting while being kept in a wet environment.  These are then blanched in boiling salt water and then cooked in a tasty sauce which has been prepared separately by using onions, garlic, tomatoes, almonds and a wide variety of herbs and spices.  Although this kind of preparation is lengthy, the result is well worth the effort and it is a huge improvement on the traditional snails in garlic butter.


Anyone for Snails?

 

Fresh date merchants such as this fellow pictured below are a common sight in the streets of Oran.  The dates come from the Sahara which means Desert in Arabic.  Date palms can be found in oases throughout  the south of the country across the desert region.  They are cultivated in 9 Saharan districts, of which the most productive are Biskra, Adrar, El Oued, Ouargla and Ghardaia.  Dates are sold fresh and are available as bunches or loose in smaller quantities.  They are succulent and so much tastier and juicier than the packaged dates one commonly finds in supermarkets.   Algeria used to be Africa’s second largest producer of dates, behind Egypt and the tenth largest exporter of dates by volume in 2010 (according to the UN's Food & Agriculture Organisation). Tunisia today claims the top spot.


A Fresh Date Merchant in Oran
 


I took this photo in Mers-el-Kébir.  It had a charm all of its own.  As you can see; all that this fellow was selling was eggs.  This type of specialised selling is quite common among street sellers who simply concentrate on just offering the shoppers only the one product.  Although cars are an ever increasing commodity in Algeria, donkeys are still widely used to transport various items and even people.  I loved the VW car hub cap at the back of the cart.  It shows that a little imagination can give character to the most humble of contraptions.


An Egg Merchant Selling on the Street in Mers-el-Kébir 

I love visiting the local markets, mingle amongst the locals and watch the foods they buy and how they eat them.  Supermarkets are still rare in that part of the country.  Instead, you will find corner stores where most of the foods such as spices, pulses herbs etc… are still being sold in bulk.  In a way, shopping for food over there is like going back in time when things were much simpler and healthier.

Open-air markets are a common sight in Algeria.  The Kristel market is one of my favourites and I always stop there on my way to Arzew for lunch at my favourite restaurant "Les Gazelles".  Kristel is a small fishing village situated between the cities of Oran and Arzew in the northwest part of Algeria.  Local farmers bring their produce every day and the local population enjoys a wide variety of produce and at very affordable prices.


Farmers Selling their Produce at the Kristel Market


Foods ranging from soups to stews, desserts and pastries are extremely tasty.  They are cooked with a wide range of spices which make them truly unique in taste and an unforgettable experience when you eat them.  Here are a small sample of the foods I adore and look forward to enjoy each time I return to Algeria during the months of September and October.

Zlabia is an Algerian pastry which the locals enjoy throughout the year with the traditional Arab sweet mint tea.  This delicacy is made by piping and deep-frying a wheat flour batter in circular shapes, which are then soaked in honey or sugar syrup while it is still hot. Zlabia is particularly popular during Ramadan.  This delicious sweet gets crunchy once it has cooled and keeps for a few days without refrigeration. As with most Algerian cake shops, the proud display of the pastries plays an important part in attracting the customers.

Zlabia at the Cake Shop

Makrouds are a North African pastry commonly eaten in Algeria, Tunisia and some parts of Libya.  They are small semolina cakes cut in the shape of lozenges or squares, stuffed with dates, hazelnuts, or almonds.  In the past, Makrouds were made at home but increasingly today bakers and pastry chefs do the work.  The dough which is made of semolina gives the pastry a very specific texture and flavour.  Makrouds can be either fried in oil or oven-baked.  Once cooked, they are soaked in honey or sugar syrup.  One is never enough when I buy these at my favourite cake shop in Oran.

 

Makrouds at the Cake shop 

 

Most bakeries in Algeria offer their customers two main types of breads; the traditional Arabic Flatbread called "Khubz" on the left of the picture and the French baguettes, a reminder of the country's recent colonial past.  Although French style bread is still quite popular in Algeria, Khubz remains a staple in the country's diet. It is traditionally cooked in a brick oven, but can be baked in a modern oven.  Nothing beats the smell of hot freshly baked bread in the morning.

Traditional and French-Style Breads

 

Couscous is a traditional Berber dish of semolina granules of Durum wheat which is cooked by steaming.  Couscous is a staple food throughout the North African cuisines of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and to a lesser extent in the Middle East.  Although it is traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it, a sweet version of couscous is also popular in Algeria.  The image below shows a bowl of steamed couscous with white sugar at the top of the dish and some small candy sprinkled throughout.  Other versions of sweet couscous include almonds, dried fruit such as sultanas, prunes, figs and dates.  Orange blossom and generous amounts of cinnamon compete this delicious dish which is traditionally served with a runny version of yoghurt called "Petit Lait". 

Sweet Couscous 

 

In the savoury version of the Algerian couscous; one of my favourite Algerian meals, this festive dish is made  primarily with either lamb or chicken.  You will occasionally find a couscous made with beef but the prohibitive price of this meat means it is seldom used.  Chickpeas, onion, carrots, zucchinis usually accompany the meat.  The couscous is steamed and the meat and vegetables are served on top of the couscous as per the image below.  A sauce, produced by the cooking of the meat and the vegetables, seasoned with pepper, sweet paprika, turmeric, cumin and coriander is poured over the dish before serving.  Harissa, a chili paste mixed with some of the sauce is served separately for anyone wanting a hot taste  for their dish.  Whether hot or mild, this dish is an absolute delight I always look forward to it whenever I travel to that country.



The Traditional Couscous 

 

The paella pictured below is not an Algerian dish as it originates from Spain.  During the French occupation of the country, a large number of Spanish people migrated to Algeria and brought some of their traditional dishes with them.  Paella was one of those dishes and it has taken its place in the Algerian menu.  I enjoyed this paella at my friend Mohamed's "LE Marin" restaurant.  It had some prawns, capsicums, squid, cuttlefish, olives and rice cooked in a delicious stock flavoured with tomato, onion, garlic and flavoured with saffron.  The result was heavenly and the unique brand of hospitality of my friend Mohamed made that evening a memory to cherish for a long time.  I can't wait to see him again soon for another one of these memorable evenings.



A Paella Served at Le Marin 2 Restaurant in Ain-el-Turck

 

Calentica is a traditional dish from Algeria based on chickpeas.  In order to make this simple dish,  water and chickpea flour are mixed and let stand overnight. The next day, olive oil, salt and pepper are added and the whole mixture is mixed again. the mixture is then poured on to a greased baking dish to a thickness of 2cm. It is baked at 300 °C for 1/2 hour in a preheated oven. The Calentica is traditionally served warm with generous amounts of freshly ground cumin but it can also be served with harissa.  This filling and nutritious dish is popular with workers at lunchtime and can be eaten as is or served in bread as a sandwich.  This dish has a unique flavour unlike anything I have ever tasted before. 



A Serve of Calentica - A savoury Chickpea slice served with freshly ground cumin