Tajine Lham-Lahlou

Tajine lham lahlou, whose name means sweet meat, is an Algerian dish in which meat is cooked with prunes in a sweet syrup. The meat and onions are first sauteed in butter or smen, the traditional preserved North African butter, and the dish is then finished with sugar and orange blossom water. Apricots, apples and raisins are common additions, and toasted almonds are usually scattered on top. It is served as a starter or a dessert during Ramadan and at wedding celebrations. Regional names differ across the country: lham lahlou in Algiers, tadjin el ain around Constantine, and tadjin el barqoq around Oran, each naming the local word for plums and prunes. The sweet and savory balance makes it one of the better known festive tajines of Algerian home cooking.