Shalita.. a dish of the poor and the rich in Bordj Bou Arreridj
THE SHALITA DISH IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE STATE OF BORDJ BOU ARRERIDJ (PENTRASSET).
Algeria is considered a continent, not only in terms of its area, which is close to two and a half million square meters, ranking first in the African countries, after the division of Sudan in 2011, but also in terms of the multiplicity of its cuisine, which varies almost every hundred kilometers, and even dishes Those with a national reach, such as "couscous" and "shakhshoukh", themselves abound with many variations, from one side to the other, and the "salita" dish is among these meals that the poor and the rich cannot do without in their tables, especially in the wilaya of Bordj Bou Arreridj.
It is not possible for a visitor to Bordj Bou Arreridj to stop by this state without having the "salata" dish present on the dining table.
Certain regions monopolize the attribution of certain dishes to them, even if they are extended in other regions, so they are known by them, and they are intended for their sake, and they are a place of honor for expatriates and pride among residents. We find this in Biskra and Wadi Souf with the “Dobara” dish, in Bou Saada with the “Zafiti” dish, in Tlemcen and its neighboring cities with “Harira”, and in Constantine with “Shakhshukha Al Zafar”.
The Bordj Bou Arreridj region, 200 kilometers to the east of Algiers, is known as the capital of the "shallita" dish, and it has other less well-known names, such as "Al-Hamis".
The "shaleta" dish consists of peppers, which are usually preferred to be spicy, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. There are other additions that may displace it until it becomes a similar dish called "Shakshuka". Where the ingredients are fried in oil or grilled over a fire, and they are cut and olive oil is poured over them, with the possibility of using municipal ghee in its place.
"Braijia", as the residents of Bordj Bou Arreridj are called, prefer to eat salad with "kasra" or "al-Matlou'", which are two breads prepared in homes. They also prefer milk as a companion, because drinking water is not compatible with hot food. Among them is the popular proverb, “Pain and hot are like pain and fire.” That is, they do not meet. We also find a popular proverb in praise of spicy food that says: “The dish without spicy is like a man without a home.”
The poet and interest in popular culture, Rachid Belmoune, tells Ultra Algeria that there are contexts that have led to perpetuating the tendency of the region's residents to eat hot food, including the fact that it is a high and cold region, with generous soil in the production of vegetables, and the consequent spices.
Rachid Bellmomen adds, "The popular imagination in the region has associated eating spicy food with courage and masculinity, in exchange for ridiculing those who avoid it except for health reasons, to the extent that some Braijian families do not use hot peppers or hot harissa except in milk. This is the reality that pushes children to get used to it." On the spicy taste since they were young.
In the square of the castle in the heart of Bordj Bou Arreridj, we asked a group of young people, between the ages of 15 and 35: “Which of them would you answer, an invitation to grilled meat or an invitation to shalita?” So he chose seven out of ten for the second call. And I asked them to call their families to ask them if they prepared Shata that day, and the result was 8 out of 10.
Fateh, 22, says that he can be satisfied with a plate of salad throughout the year, if a person’s stomach can bear it, and if the salad provides all the nutrients that his body needs, “it combines the characteristics of appetizers, as it incites you to eat more.” And the characteristics of the main dishes, as they provide you with a sense of satiety, all at low costs.”
There are those who content themselves with the “salata” as a single dish at lunch or dinner. Someone makes it a companion to other dishes. Few of them completely change it. His absence may cause tensions between the husband and his wife, as one of the lawyers mentioned to me that he had received a divorce case because the husband did not find the “shalitah” on the table, during the month of Ramadan, in which the shalitah is elevated to the status of the sacred dish. On the other hand, "shalita" can restore familial and human relations that were tense.
Shalita is a dish that attracts the poor and the rich. It imposes itself on the tables of the two parties. The only difference between them remains the ability of each party to provide hot peppers, during periods when they are scarce, which leads to an increase in its price, especially during the winter, as it reaches more than 200 dinars, compared to 50 dinars during the summer.
The absence of class differentiation in the salad dish, and its availability in all homes, made the pioneers of social networking sites Facebook review it and brag about their ways of preparing and presenting it. Cheb Cherif tells Ultra Algeria that he is not afraid to arouse the appetite of the poor and needy when he publishes pictures of the salad, because it is available to everyone, "unlike dishes that require a certain financial level."
Writer Rachid Belmoune: "The residents of Bordj Bou Arreridj like hot food, because this area has its geographical advantages, characterized by high altitude and coldness.
It is the human given, which the storyteller Issa bin Mahmoud, the author of the short story collection “The Shalita Floods the City,” focused on in his statement to “Ultra Algeria.” He says that the struggle between social classes has been and will remain. And that there are simple dishes that were able to bridge the gap between them, and create a common pleasure between the poor and the rich. Which gives her a special blessing. He asks: “Why do we not have studies, research, and literary works that work on the broad spectrum of popular reality and imagination, and enjoy a special popular sanctity?”
Source: websites