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Saturday, 7 December 2013

Algeria




I start my second tour around the world in Algeria , a country placed in North Africa .Its capital city is Algiers ,it has a population of 34 million inhabitants and an area of ​​2,381,740 km2 It is one of the leading producers of oil and gas in Africa .It is a country of Berber origin, a minority of the population still speaks the berber language. It has undergone several invasions along its history , among them , the expansion of Islam and Arabization,the Ottoman and French colonization are the ones that have most influenced its culture and cuisine. Not to mention the Spanish influence produced by the mass migration of all Maghreb Moors expelled from Al- Andalus during the period betwen the fifteenth and the seventeenth century.
Algeria gained independence from France in 1962.
Islamic fundamentalism turns the country into a not recommended place for non-Arabs , we know very little about this country, before we talk about the cuisine of the country I recommend this youtube video which shows some pictures from it. I was pleasantly surprised by the lovely images:


Cuisine of Algeria :

Couscous is an Algerian national dish , the main ingredient is semolina, which is combined with chicken or lamb , vegetables or eggs. We should not forget other very significant and unique dishes from Algeria :
 ' burek ' , a pastry filled with meat , fried eggs and onions.
 ' dolma ', that is made with pepper and tomato.
 ' Kemia ' , a very original dish with tomatoes , carrots, beans and sardines.
The meat most used is the lamb ,  important dishes are :
 ' Ihan liahlou ' , a lamb stew with prunes , cinnamon and orange blossom
 ' Mechoui ' , whole roasted lamb skewered on a stick .
A popular dish in the month of Ramadan is' chorba ' , a soup made with tomatoes , onions , carrots , zucchini and lamb, chicken or beef. Seasoned with salt, pepper , cinnamon and parsley , sometimes also chickpeas and red peppers are added.


Typical desserts in Algeria are made ​​from semolina,usually soaked in honey,accompanied with dates and nuts as main ingredients . Examples are Makrout , Samsa or Hrisa . We Should not forget that green tea with fresh mint is one of the most consumed beverages .

Webs on the Internet dedicated to the cuisine of Algeria :
http://www.embargelia.es/recetasargelinas.htm
http://www.amourdecuisine.fr/

Recipes from Algeria :


Algerian Couscous
Baked Makrout

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Algeria

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Palm oil


Palm oil
It is a vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of the African palm.
This palm is native to southwestern Africa, between Angola and Gambia.

This type of oil was first obtained 3600 years ago, it was used especially in Western Guinea from where it came to America, later on this oil arrived in China from America.

Nowadays the largest palm oil production is centered in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Thailand, Colombia, New Guinea, Ivory Coast, Costa Rica, Honduras, Brazil and Guatemala.

It is a natural source of Vitamin A and Vitamin E, nevertheless, due to its high saturated fat content, it has negative consequences to human health ,since a long and abundant consumption of palm oil can raise the ratio of LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Its flavour is stronger than olive oil's, but gives the dishes a distinctive flavour and color the sauces, I strongly believe that you should not avoid using this oil if the original recipe includes this ingredient , that's the only way to know the real flavor of the dish!

Where to Buy Palm Oil in Madrid:

Near Metro Lavapies , you can find the Miguel Servet Street where there are a lot of multicultural food stores selling this kind of oil.

If you come from a different place and know where to find palm oil in your zone, please leave a comment telling us, this way other readers will have more possibilities to find this ingredient!