Ruz el Qahwa
Turkish-style coffee with cardamom, thick and sweet, always offered to guests. No conversation begins without coffee. No business, no news, no proposal, nothing until coffee is served. The preparation is ritual: the ibrik, the water, the finely ground beans, the slow heating, the foam that rises but must not boil over. Three servings from one pot. The first sip is bitter, the last is sweet with the grounds settling at the bottom. Coffee is the occasion for everything that matters in Algeria: the engagement, the reconciliation, the mourning, the welcome, the farewell. The cup is small, but it holds the entire social contract.