TIMIMOUN - The 8th International Couscous Festival entitled "A Dish of Encounter, Tradition, and Creativity," concluded on Sunday in Timimoun, after four days of events, with awards to the participating chefs, researchers and experts.

On the event's final day, participants from Western Sahara, Iraq, and Palestine, and chefs from Tunisia, Cameroon, and Lebanon, as well as several Algerian chefs, researchers, and experts from across the country, were honored in a ceremony attended by local officials and a large audience.

Chahrazed Aiouaz, the director of Chahra Prod, the event's organizer, called this edition a "success," noting the participation of chefs, researchers, and experts from across Algeria and several foreign countries such as Tunisia, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, and Cameroon, with Western Sahara as a guest of honor.

The general inspector of Timimoun province, Adel Chaoui, emphasized that the event was a cultural exchange platform and a key opportunity to showcase couscous, one of the most important elements of Algeria’s intangible cultural heritage.

The festival featured several couscous-related activities, including a scientific lecture on the history of this dish in Algeria, and also a tasting session of its wide traditional varieties from across the country, highlighting Timimoun’s famous "Serayer" couscous.

The 8th International Couscous Festival was held under the patronage of the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts and the Ministry of Culture and Arts, and under the auspices of the Wali (governor) of Timimoun, with the participation of chefs, researchers and experts from 10 countries.

This edition aimed to showcase Timimoun’s culinary heritage, particularly its couscous, while showcasing Algerian cuisine and its connection to African and Arab cuisines, in addition to promoting Algerian traditional crafts.

It also celebrated the 5th anniversary of couscous' inscription as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.