Cuisines traditionnelles d’Algérie l’art d’accommoder l’histoire et la géographie

Algerian food has not been codified into one symbolic food for tourists. This article examines the production of Algerian food in diverse climates, the various ingredients featured in Algerian cuisine and the influence of different ancient civilizations — notably Roman, Ottoman, Persian and Andalusian — on cooking. Street food dishes, imported and relished by migrants, have their own particularities. Rural and urban foods are then compared and described for different classes. At various occasions, the types of food consumed and the order of its presentation carry special meaning. Food thus becomes an emblem of class and of ritual, a gift which must be returned, just like any gift, and which gives identity to the hosts and the guests. Medicinal advice for keeping delicate food for a long time is also studied. Algerian food is thus understood not as a series of ingredients, but rather as a cultural entity with an identity which must be explored.