I spent two incredible years in Algeria and vividly recall the local dishes with their rich flavors and colors. Fresh flatbread baked on a griddle, just steps from the Premier Mai market. The daily specials at the tiny restaurant up the hill from our apartment. Spiced soups that warmed your body on a cool wintery day. And couscous like I’d never had before, exquisite.

Needless to say, I quickly found my favorite dishes and would eat them often! And so today, I travel back in time to share some of those memories with you. Here are four dishes from Algeria that will make your mouth water.

Couscous with Meat and Vegetables

Couscous with meat and vegetables, a popular dish in Algeria
A steaming plate of couscous (source: Shutterstock)

Our housekeeper almost collapsed with laughter when I explained how I made couscous in the States: mixing boiling water directly with the couscous grains. “No no no,” she said in between laughs, “it has to be delicately steamed. Do you have a couscoussier?”

A what?? I had no idea what she was talking about.

A week later, she came with the necessary gear: 1) a pot in two parts: the bottom to boil water and a steamer that fits directly on top. Then 2) a tight band that sealed the two parts, wrapping around the pot like a thick rubber band to direct the steam upward, not outward. The result was tremendous. Brilliantly light couscous, steamed to perfection, served with a spiced tomato sauce, steamed carrots and zucchini, and baked chicken.

Rechta

A plate of Rechta, a type of noodle dish prepared in Algeria
A plate of rechta (source: Shutterstock)

To this day, I still miss the quaint restaurant Sarah, perched on a side street between the neighborhoods of Mouradia and Hydra. This was, hands down, my favorite spot to get Algerian food. I’d walk in a lunchtime, squeeze into the small dining area (only 8 tables), and look up at the chalkboard for the daily specials.

Once a week they served rechta, a pasta dish that looks like thin rice noodles, but tastes completely different. The noodles are light and soft, paired with chunks of zucchini and other vegetables, and eaten with chicken or beef, with a boiled egg on the side. This combination of textures and flavors made rechta special, especially with the restaurant’s vibrant atmosphere and its genuinely kind and welcoming staff.

Msemen (Maarek)

Traditional Handmade Algerian pancakes named rghaif or msemen with honey and almond and arabic teapot
Msemen with honey and almonds (source: Shutterstock)

On a weekend trip to the cavernous Premier Mai market, I’d make extra time for a snack after shopping. Carrying my basket of vegetables, herbs, and fresh fruit, I’d walk out the back gate and down towards the main street. My destination was a narrow restaurant, a snack shop of sorts. The flat griddle out front was always hot, churning out msemen – thin multi-layered flatbreads also known as maarek. These are often stuffed with a spicy sauce of onions and tomatoes (my preference), but they’re also eaten as a dessert, unstuffed and drizzled with a generous helping of honey.

You can find msemen across much of North Africa, especially in Morocco and Algeria. They’re wonderful for breakfast or a quick snack. I’d eat mine on the way back to the car, relishing the taste of the warm bread as it blended with the oil and tomatoes inside.

Chorba Frik

Chorba Frik, a traditional Algerian soup
A bowl of chorba frik (source: Shutterstock)

One of my favorite dishes from my time in Algeria is this soup, a popular find in local restaurants around town. Chorba frik is a delicate tomato soup mixed with grains of cracked green wheat known as frik or freekeh, used in cuisines across North Africa and the Levant. I love the soft nutty flavor it gives this soup, combining beautifully with the warm broth, vegetables, and meat – usually lamb or beef.

Chroba frik is also often served with bourek, which resemble fried egg rolls. In Algiers, I found a great cafe that specialized in both. After walking the length of Didouche Mourad Street, from the Bardo Museum all the way down to the historic Old Post Office, a bowl of chorba and a few bourek were a perfect treat.

What Next?

I highly recommend a visit to Algiers if you can get a visa and coordinate a trip. But there’s no need to travel to Algeria to enjoy these delicious dishes. The cooking blog Petite Panière has a wealth of Algerian recipes such as maarek, bourek, and multiple types of chorba. Or grab Anissa Helou’s Feast: Food of the Islamic World (one of my favorite Middle Eastern cookbooks). This book features fantastic recipes for msemen/maarek and couscous, and if you don’t have a couscoussier, don’t worry! Helou notes that you can line a cheesecloth inside a metal colander, then fit this over the pot you use to cook the meat and broth. 

And, if you’re hooked on Middle Eastern food like I am, this blog has lots more for you to read. Check out my ultimate list of Middle Eastern cookbooks (in two parts, with over 100 titles!). Then put on your apron and savor these five incredible recipes for Egyptian street food (kushari, tamiyya, foul medames, and more). Or enjoy this list of delicious drinks, including mango juice, kerkaday, Turkish coffee, and tea with mint.