Dihya at the table

Among the Djerawa, one does not serve "dishes" one after another like an ordered succession: the barley flatbread is the foundation of every meal, placed in the center, and each person breaks bread and dips into the common dish. Around it revolve what the mountain and the herd provide — milk, dry cheese, dates, and meat only on days of great gathering. The meal is an act of hospitality and clan cohesion, not a menu of dishes. The main distinction is between everyday frugality (barley, milk) and the abundance of festivals and war councils (roasted mutton, honey).

Barley (timẓin) is the grain-king of the highlands of the Aurès, hardier than wheat and able to grow on arid terraces. Baked under ashes or on a hot stone, it yields the flatbread that feeds the people. Fermented butter (smen) and mountain honey are its emblematic companions.