Food in Daily Life
ta'am, translates as "food." Common flavorings include onions, turnips, raisins, chickpeas, and red peppers, as well as salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander. Alternatively, couscous can be served sweet, flavored with honey, cinnamon, or almonds. Lamb also is popular, and often is prepared over an open fire and served with bread. This dish is called mechoui. Other common foods are chorba, a spicy soup; dolma, a mixture of tomatoes and peppers, and bourek, a specialty of Algiers consisting of mincemeat with onions and fried eggs, rolled and fried in batter. The traditional Berber meal among the poorer people is a cake made of mixed grains and a drink mixed together from crushed goat cheese, dates, and water. The national dish of Algeria is couscous, steamed semolina wheat served with lamb or chicken, cooked vegetables, and gravy. This is so basic to the Algerian diet that its name in Arabic,
Strong black coffee and sweetened mint tea are popular, as well as apricot or other sweetened fruit juices. Laban also is drunk, a mixture of yogurt and water with mint leaves for flavoring. Algeria grows grapes and produces its own wine, but alcohol is not widely consumed, as it is forbidden by the Islamic religion.
Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. Religious holidays are often celebrated with special foods. For the birthday of Muhammad, a holiday called Mulud, dried fruits are a common treat. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims refrain from food and drink during the daylight hours. Each evening, the fast is broken with a family meal. Eid al-Fitr, the final breaking of the Ramadan fast, involves consuming large quantities of foods, sweets, and pastries in particular
Algeria celebrates both secular (nonreligious) and Muslim holidays. The two major Muslim holidays are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Fitr is a three-day celebration that takes place after the month of fasting called Ramadan. Eid al-Adha commemorates the willingness of Abraham to obey God's command and sacrifice his son, Isaac. People making a pilgrimage (religious journey) are expected to sacrifice a goat or sheep and offer the meat to the poor.
Muslims celebrate their religious holidays by going to the mosque for group prayers. Afterward, they return home to large meals with family and visiting relatives. They also exchange gifts on religious holidays.
Algerian secular holidays include New Year's Day (January 1); Labor Day (May 1), which commemorates worker solidarity around the world; and Independence Day (July 5). Most businesses, banks, and government offices are closed on these holidays.
RITES OF PASSAGE
Algerian families celebrate births, baby-namings, male circumcisions, and weddings. Weddings are joyous affairs paid for by the groom's family. The celebration lasts several days. After days of singing and eating, the bride and groom are united in marriage. Their union is followed by another week of celebrations.
Algerians shake hands during greetings. It is common for good friends of the same sex to kiss each other on the cheek. Religious men and women do not shake hands with persons of the opposite sex.
Most socialization revolves around the family. Guests are treated with great hospitality and are served pastries and sweets.
Algerian men and women do very little socializing together. The sexes are separated at most gatherings. Dating is not allowed, and marriages are arranged by the families or by matchmakers.
Algerian houses and gardens are surrounded by high walls for privacy. Inside, most homes have a central, open area or patio surrounded by the rooms of the house. Homes have a receiving room, kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, and, if the family is wealthy, a second patio. The outside of the house is usually whitewashed brick or stone.
Algeria has a severe housing shortage. It is common for more than one family to live together in the same house.