Traditional Algerian food shows the historic influences of Berber, Arab, Turkish, and French tastes. It can be mild or very spicy and many flavoring are used. Algiers and popular coastal towns have a fair selection of good restaurants, serving mainly French and Italian-style food, though even classic dishes will have an unmistakable Algerian quality. Fish dishes are exceptionally good.
Food in Algeria
10/09/2019
Regional specialization:
• Stalls sell brochettes (kebabs) in French bread and covered in a spicy sauce.
• Couscous, a semolina-like pasta made from cracked wheat, is a staple food in Algeria and throughout North Africa.
• Chickpea-cakes make a cheap and tasty accompaniment for food.
• Stews like shakshuka, with vegetables, and tajine, with lamb or chicken, are popular everyday dishes.
• The traditional diet of desert nomads is based on couscous and the meat of the sheep or goats they herd. When traveling, desert people carry pressed dates or figs, and hard cheese, which keeps for a long time.
Tipping:
10% is usual in Algiers and larger cities. Elsewhere it is not customary.