A FOOD TRADITION

Algerian Jewish Cuisine

Algerian Jewish cuisine developed among longstanding Jewish communities in northern towns, coastal cities, inland settlements, and parts of the Sahara, combining Maghrebi ingredients with Sephardi and local communal customs. Semolina, chickpeas, fish, eggs, vegetables, lamb, olives, dried fruit, and sweet spices recur in home and festival cooking. Characteristic techniques include slow cooking, braising, frying filled pastries, preparing grain dishes for communal meals, and preserving fruit or vegetables. Recognizable examples include dafina, a slowly cooked Sabbath stew; couscous with vegetables or meat; and bourekas or related filled pastries. Recipes differ among urban, rural, and emigrant families.

Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.