Harira is a herb-rich, tomato-based soup with a velvety-smooth, creamy texture, as the word hareer signifies velvetiness in Arabic. It's the most popular soup in Morocco, symbolizing the unification of people during Ramadan, the holy month of fasting in the Muslim calendar.
According to religious law, practitioners may not eat or drink anything between dawn and sunset. At sunset, when the cannons strike, Moroccans eat their first meal of the day - the obligatory harira soup, accompanied by dates, figs, coffee, or milk, along with fried honey cookies shaped like flowers and sprinkled with sesame, called chebakia.
The traditional soup known as chorba frik is one of the staples of Algerian diet. It is a tomato-based soup made with meat, chickpeas, and an ancient grain called freekeh (or frik). The dish is seasoned with traditional Algerian spices such as mint or coriander, which give the dish a typical oriental flavor.
The main ingredient, frik, is a grain that is frequently used in many Algerian dishes. This ancient cereal, familiar to the Mediterranean and Arabic countries, has an unusual green color, and resembles the more popular bulgur. Chorba frik is a dish that is usually associated with the eastern parts of the country, but it can be found throughout Algeria.
MOST ICONIC Chorba frik
Chorba beïda is a rich and nourishing Algerian white chicken soup that's traditionally prepared for Ramadan. It's usually made with a combination of chicken, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, butter, cinnamon, chickpeas, and seasonings. The chicken pieces are first browned and the vegetables are cooked until they soften.
Water is added to the pot and the soup is simmered for a while along with chickpeas. Near the end of cooking, a combination of egg yolks, lemon juice, and parsley or coriander is stirred into the soup. When served, chorba beïda is often accompanied by crusty bread on the side.
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