In this
article I will talk about the rich culture of Algeria. The culture in Algeria revolves
around religion, it is the common ground for the daily life in this country.
Islam is
the most dominant religion and there is also a tiny Jewish community. Since the
Roman era also Christianity existed in this area, but even despite many efforts
by the French colonizers the number of Algerian Christians remained very small.
The food
in Algeria is of course oriental inspired. The national dish of Algeria is
couscous, served with lamb or chicken and cooked vegetables. This is so basic
to the Algerian diet that its name in Arabic, ta'am, means "food". For
some extra flavor to the dish, they commonly add onions, raisins, red peppers
and salt and pepper. To make the couscous more sweet, honey or almonds are
added. They also eat soup, namely chorba, which is a very spicy soup.
One of
Algeria specialties is bourek, which is a mixture of minced meat, onions and
fried eggs that is fried and rolled in batter.
For drinks
strong black coffee and sweetened mint tea are the most popular. A specialty is laban, a mix of yoghurt and
water where mint leaves are added for extra flavor. Algeria produces its own
wine, but this is not really consumed by the Algerians themselves because it is
forbidden by the Islamic religion to consume alcohol.
Once a
year the Muslims have the Ramadan fast, when they don’t drink nor eat during
the daylight hours. Each evening the whole family gathers for a family meal. At
the end of the Ramadan they hold a feast where large quantities of food are
consumed, in particular sweets and pastries.
Another
prominent aspect of the Algerian culture is the concept of honour. It is
delicately intertwined with a family’s reputation. It means that if a person
does good things, his family gets honoured. But if a person does something
shameful, his whole family is shamed. So all the actions done by a family
member is the direct responsibility of the family.
I hope
you have learned something new about this amazing country and may this article
inspire you to go and discover more of Algeria.
The food in Algeria looks tasteful but sounds also a bit special or strange, no? Have you enjoyed their style of cooking?
BeantwoordenVerwijderenOne more question to end, have you experienced the strong rules of the Islam yourself? For instance, have you paid attention to wear long clothes which discover your body?
Greetings,
Sarah
Yes it looks tastefull but if you don't like special food, like me, it is a disaster to eat in Algeria. Fortunately, there were also 'normal' thins like the couscous. It was worth trying it, but no bourek more for me please! The drink laban was very refreshing and delicious after a long and warm day in Algeria.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenFor me, it was also a disaster to eat in this country, because I'm pretty picky in eating. It was a pity we couldn't taste wine because of the prohibition. I was startled when a resident told me when a person does something wrong, the whole family is shamed about that. I find you shouldn't ashamed of who your family is.
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