Algeria

Algeria’s warm climate supports extensive pepper cultivation, mostly annuum types ranging from sweet to hot—comparable to cayenne, Aleppo-style chilies, and local long red and green varieties used fresh and dried. These supply fresh markets and small processors making harissa-like pastes and dried spice.

Hmiss (also called slata mechouia or ifelfel) is a key dish: chargrilled green and red peppers, often similar to long Italian or Anaheim-type combined with hotter chilies, mixed with tomato, garlic, and olive oil. Loubia b’dersa, a bean and chili stew, uses dried or ground hot pepper comparable in heat to cayenne.

Dried red chilies are ground into powders for merguez sausages and tagines. Households roast and peel peppers for salads, or pack them in jars with oil and vinegar. Street vendors offer chili sauces with sandwiches and fries, making local hot peppers a daily staple.