Algérie

Couscous

Semolina steamed over a vegetable and lamb broth, served on Fridays and at every feast.

Chorba frik

Lamb and tomato soup with cracked green wheat, eaten first at every iftar.

Chakhchoukha

Torn flatbread soaked in a spiced lamb and chickpea sauce, from the Aurès.

Rechta

Hand-cut fresh noodles steamed and served in a white cinnamon broth with chicken.

Mhajeb

Semolina crêpes folded around onion and tomato paste, griddled and eaten rolled.

Bourek

Pastry cigars of minced meat or cheese, fried and served with harissa.

Dolma

Courgette and potato stuffed with minced meat and cooked in a white sauce.

Tajine zitoune

Chicken stewed with olives, carrot and mushroom in a pale, lemony sauce.

Mtewem

Meatballs cooked in a garlic-heavy sauce with chickpeas, from Algiers.

Loubia

White beans stewed with cumin and tomato, the everyday winter dish.

Karantika

Baked chickpea flour custard cut into squares and dusted with cumin, from Oran.

Berkoukes

Large hand-rolled semolina pellets cooked in a spiced vegetable broth.

Mechoui

Whole lamb roasted on a spit over embers for weddings and Eid.

Baghrir

Thousand-hole semolina pancakes eaten with honey and butter at teatime.

Makroudh

Semolina diamonds filled with date paste, fried and dipped in honey.

Kalb el louz

Semolina and almond cake soaked in orange blossom syrup, made in Ramadan.

Zlabia

Spiralled fried batter drenched in honey, sold by the kilo at Ramadan.

Thé à la menthe

Green tea with spearmint and sugar, poured from a height into small glasses.