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Algerian cuisine



The cuisine of Algeria is influenced by Algeria's interactions and exchanges with other cultures and nations over the centuries. It is characterized by a wealth derived from both land and sea products. Conquests or demographic movement towards the Algerian territory were two of the main factors of exchanges between the different peoples and cultures (Berbers, Arabs, Turks, Andalusians, French, and Spaniards). This cuisine is a Mediterranean and North African cuisine with Berber roots.

Algerian cuisine offers a variety of dishes depending on the region and the season, but vegetables and cereals remain at its core. Most of the Algerian dishes are centered around bread, meats (lamb, beef or poultry), olive oil, vegetables, and fresh herbs. Vegetables are often used for salads, soups, tajines, couscous, and sauce-based dishes. Of all the Algerian traditional dishes available, the most famous one is couscous, recognized as a national dish.

Algeria, like other Maghreb countries, produces a large range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables and even some tropical ones. Lamb is commonly consumed. Mediterranean seafood and fish are also eaten and produced by the little inshore fishing.


Meats

Algerians consume a high amount of meat, and it is found in almost every dish. Mutton is the most eaten meat in the country.

Poultry and beef are also used—other, more uncommon types of meat such as game, birds and venison are considered a delicacy. In the south, dromedary (camel meat) is also eaten.

Meat could traditionally be dried in regions such as Kabylia as a way to preserve the meat for long amounts of time.

The merguez is a type of sausage originating from the Berber people.


Vegetables

Vegetables that are commonly used include potatoes (batata/betetè), carrots (zrodiya/sennariya), turnip (left), onions (bsel/besla), tomatoes (tomatish/tømètish/t'matem), zucchini (corget/qar'a /khyar), garlic (ethoum), cabbages (cromb), eggplant (bidenjan), olives (zéton), pennyroyal (fliou), cardoon (korchef), broad bean (fool), chickpea (homoss), and chili pepper (felfel).

Vegetables are often used in stews (tagine/jwaz/djwizza) and soups (chorba/harira/jari) or simply fried or boiled.


Fishes and seafoods

Sardines, hake, shrimps, octopus, tuna and cod are the main seafoods commonly eaten in Algerian cuisine, mostly in stews or fried.


Spices

Many Spices are used in Algerian cuisine including for example dried red chilli of different kinds, caraway, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, paprika, coriander, saffron, mace, cloves, fennel, anise, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, fenugreek, and black pepper. Some spice mixes are also traditional of the North African region such as the 'ras el hanout which can be made up to twenty-seven spices. The hror is a spice mix typical of Algerian cuisine mainly made from galangal, cubeb, nutmeg and cinnamon but recipes may vary and include more spices and herbs such as liquorice or pellitory.

And as always have a chilled day from ther Viking

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