Harcha
A crumbly semolina flatbread from Morocco and Algeria.
Harcha (Arabic: حرشة, ḥarša) is a flatbread made from semolina, cooked on a griddle or in a pan. It originates from Morocco’s Middle Atlas region and is also eaten in Algeria. The dough combines semolina, butter, and either milk or water, leavened with baking powder, and sometimes includes a bit of sugar. Because of the semolina, the bread has a crumbly texture similar to cornbread. In Morocco’s Rif area, buttermilk or yogurt thinned with water may replace the milk. Harcha can be shaped into small rounds or made as large as a truck tire.
It is often spread with honey and butter and served with mint tea for breakfast or as a snack, and is one of the breads eaten during Ramadan. It can also be stuffed like a sandwich with cheese or meat confit, or crumbled to form a soft base for stew.
Names for this bread vary. In Morocco and Algeria, it may be called “mbesses,” though that term can also refer to a different Algerian sweet cake called Khobz Mbesses with similar but not identical ingredients. In rural areas around Algiers, it is commonly known as harchâya, while elsewhere in Algeria it is called ragda. In the late 1800s, Algerian bakers made a bread called El Khobz El Harcha by sprinkling semolina on the loaf before baking—this is distinct from harcha, which is made entirely from semolina flour and other ingredients like milk.
Quick Facts
- Country
- Morocco
- Main Ingredient
- Semolina flour, butter, water or milk, baking powder
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Harcha is made from a dough of semolina, butter, and milk or water, leavened with baking powder, and sometimes containing sugar. The dough is formed into rounds and cooked on a hot griddle or flat pan. In the Rif region of Morocco, buttermilk or yogurt thinned with water may replace milk. The bread can be made small or as large as a truck tire.
Reader's Guide
Harcha holds a significant place in Moroccan and Algerian culinary traditions. It is commonly eaten for breakfast or as a snack, smeared with honey and butter and served with mint tea. It is also one of the breads consumed during Ramadan. Beyond these uses, harcha can be served like a sandwich stuffed with cheese or meat confit, or crumbled as a tender bed for stew. The terminology for the bread varies across regions: in the rural hinterland of Algiers it is called harchâya, and elsewhere in Algeria it is known as ragda. Agronomy specialist Mike Sissons mentions the term 'mbesses' as a variant, though mbesses may instead refer to a different sweet Algerian cake. A late 19th-century Algerian bread called El Khobz El Harcha, made by sprinkling semolina on bread before baking, is distinct from harcha, which is entirely made from semolina flour and other ingredients.
Did You Know?
- Harcha is native to the Middle Atlas in Morocco and is also found in Algeria.
- The use of semolina gives harcha a crumbly texture comparable to cornbread.
- Harcha can be made into breads as large as a truck tire.
More in Algerian cuisine 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced