Algerian Food: Dishes, Street Food and Sweets to Try

What is Algerian food like? Hearty, generous and built around semolina, olive oil, slow-cooked sauces and spices such as cumin, coriander and cinnamon. Couscous is the national dish, and the knowledge and practices around it are on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, shared by Algeria with its neighbors. Beyond couscous, try chorba soup, rechta noodles, chakhchoukha, stuffed mhajeb flatbreads, Oran’s garantita and honey pastries with mint tea. This guide lists the dishes to try, regional specialties, street food, sweets, drinks and tips for eating out.

Planning a trip? Start with our complete Algeria travel guide and our guide to things to do in Algiers.

Algerian food at a glance

Couscous, the national dish

Couscous in Algeria is called seksu or taam, and it is a dish for Fridays, family gatherings and celebrations. Fine semolina grains are steamed over a pot of stew in a couscoussier, then served under vegetables, chickpeas and lamb or chicken with a ladle of broth. In 2020, UNESCO inscribed the knowledge, know-how and practices of couscous on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list, in a joint file from Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.

• Red couscous with a tomato-based sauce, common in the east.
• White couscous with a clear broth, common in Algiers and the center.
• Barley couscous (mesfouf or ch’ich) and sweet couscous with raisins and butter.
• Berkoukes: large, pearl-like semolina pasta cooked in a rich soup.

Algerian dishes to try

The Algerian dishes to try first are chorba frik, rechta, chakhchoukha and the slow-cooked tajines.

1. Chorba frik: a tomato soup with cracked green wheat, lamb and herbs, essential during Ramadan.
2. Rechta: fine handmade noodles in a white sauce with chicken, turnips and chickpeas, an Algiers favorite for celebrations.
3. Chakhchoukha: torn flatbread soaked in a spicy tomato and lamb sauce, a specialty of Biskra and the east.
4. Tajine zitoune: chicken with green olives and mushrooms in a light sauce.
5. Lham lahlou: lamb with prunes, raisins and almonds in a sweet cinnamon syrup, served at the start of Ramadan and at weddings.
6. Dolma: vegetables stuffed with minced meat and rice.
7. Mechoui: whole roast lamb for big feasts.
8. Chtitha: spicy, paprika-rich stews of chicken or lamb.

Street food and snacks

The best Algerian street food is mhajeb, garantita and bourek, sold from small shops and stalls.

• Mhajeb (mahjouba): thin semolina flatbreads folded around a spicy tomato and onion filling, cooked on a griddle.
• Garantita (karantika): a baked chickpea-flour custard sold by the slice in bread, especially in Oran.
• Bourek: crisp rolled pastries with minced meat, cheese or egg.
• Kesra and matlou’: traditional semolina breads, served with almost every meal.
• Grilled sardines and other fresh fish in coastal towns.
• Brochettes: small grilled kebabs of lamb or liver.

Regional specialties

Each region of Algeria has its own specialties, so the menu changes as you travel.

Sweets, dates and drinks

Algerian sweets are rich with almonds, honey and dates, and they are always served with mint tea or coffee.

• Makroud: semolina diamonds filled with dates and soaked in honey.
• Baklawa and kalb el louz, a moist almond and semolina cake in syrup, popular in Ramadan.
• Dziriettes and griwech: delicate almond and honey pastries for weddings and Eid.
• Deglet Nour dates: the honey-colored dates of the Biskra and Saharan oases.
• Mint tea: green tea with fresh mint and plenty of sugar; in the Sahara, served in three rounds.
• Coffee: strong, often with milk, at cafés where men gather all day.

Food during Ramadan

During Ramadan, many restaurants close in the daytime and the evening meal, the iftar, becomes a celebration. Families break the fast with dates and milk, then chorba frik, bourek and lham lahlou, followed by sweets late into the night. If you travel during Ramadan, eat discreetly in daytime and accept an iftar invitation if you get one.

Tips for eating in Algeria

• Lunch is the main meal, and many small restaurants close early in the evening.
• Eat with your right hand when sharing from a common dish.
• Bread is sacred: never throw it away or leave it on the ground.
• Bring cash. Most restaurants and cafés do not accept cards.
• Vegetarians can ask for vegetable couscous, soups and salads, but meat stock is common.
• Drink bottled water outside the big cities.

Travel with a local guide

A local guide knows the best places to eat. Simsem’s Algeria host, Freedom Travel Algeria, runs these journeys:

See all Algeria experiences on Simsem.

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