Kabyle cooking has lost many of its recipes. Some peasant families nevertheless retained its original character, its basic philosophy, its own identity, despite decisive contributions from universal cuisine. Cereals, vegetables, grass, milk and olive oil, these are the basic materials and ingredients of Kabyle ancestral cuisine. Meat is not entirely absent, however, its consumption is spiced up by the development of cultural rituals in the annual Berber agricultural almanacs, with calendars where both religious holidays and pagan rituals were regularly celebrated in the region. The diet, which in many ways is similar to that of other countries around the Mediterranean, largely explains the extraordinary longevity of the people of Djurdjura mountain.
Couscous, an Amazigh (Kabyle) invention
The clay couscous pot
Invented by the Imazighne (Berber), the semolina is rolled, then steamed and served with a broth with plenty of vegetables, accompanied with meat, has made its mark under the name of Seksou, as the characteristic cuisine of North Africa. Full-bodied, rich and varied, couscous is now among the universal iconic dishes. It is the contribution of the Amazigh world to world cuisine. Couscous fame was already achieved during the Byzantine Empire. Many travellers and historians have attested to this in their writings and testimonies.
Since those distant times, couscous has gradually been adopted by cooks from all countries. Its preparation, the way of cooking, its composition have been enriched. Today, the semolina is rolled by machines and sold in large quantities in supermarkets like pasta or rice. From simple couscous with kefir to royal couscous, served with beef, peasant chicken and grilled merguez sausage, we identified in Kabylia, fifty ways to prepare couscous, a dozen without sauce and without meat. No new dish, no imported one competes with this wonderful dish.
Merguez sausage. The name is a contraction of Em’ergeuz, which means ‘like a man’ in Kabyle.
No recipe has managed to dethrone the couscous of our mothers despite the high quality rolled in industrial factories. Only wheat semolina bread, cooked and mixed with olive oil, rivals it.
Avissar is the favourite couscous of the Kabyles, yet they never serve it to their guests – simply because it’s not presentable to look at – or so they think.
Avissar = dried shelled and crushed beans (like peas).
Primarily used for a type of sauce for couscous (pea soup is excellent for that).
Avissar sauce is prepared only with 1 dried chilli, onion, garlic and sometimes tassemt (dried fat). The rich will use chicken or dried meat (acedluh).
Couscous with Avissar is the most delicious thing I know of with the shoulder of wild boar, salted and dried over ‘lkanun’ for 3 months.
For wild boar hunters: Wild boar should be hunted at the end of October in order for the shoulder to be ready in January (for the celebration of Berber New Year Yennayer).
