Atlantica - 01.10.2006, Page 35

Amorous. Generous. Voluptuous.”
The adjectives on the menu are suggestive, but
the next sentence goes a step further, inviting
me to “a sensual celebration, like nature which
spreads into a carnival of colors, scents and fla-
vors.”
Well, I’m game.
The menu in question belongs to 404, one
of dozens of North African restaurants on the
international Parisian dining scene. After decolo-
nization, particularly in Morocco, Algeria and
Tunisia, the capital had an influx of immigrants
who brought with them coveted family recipes
for the fluffiest couscous and the flakiest pastry
Today, France is home to over five million people
of Arab and African descent.
High and low-budget North African eater-
ies have opened and closed over the past three
decades, adding a gastronomic dimension to Paris
which, while popular with the locals, is easily
overlooked by many of the city’s roughly 25 mil-
lion annual visitors.
Paris’s multiculturalism reflects a national trend:
in 1999, 19.4 percent of the French population
was born outside France. But the nation’s efforts
to integrate different cultures haven’t always been
successful. For instance, the unemployment rate
for North African university graduates is 26.5
percent, compared to 5 percent for the similarly
Photos by
Páll Stefánsson
“ educated French population. The ethnic tensions
got international attention in November 2005
when riots broke out in Paris’s overlooked sub-
urbs and spread to cities throughout the country,
causing extensive damage and at least one death.
The situation has returned to normal for the time
being, but the underlying grievances remain and
the issue is a delicate subject for the French.
Stepping into cuisine offers visitors a window
into Paris’s internationalism. A friend of mine
used to lead tour groups on whirlwind trips
around France. “I always told them to eat tradi-
tional French cuisine in Beaune,” he says. “But for
the nights out in Paris, I recommended something
international.”
And so, in the midst of a sweltering July heat
wave, armed with a small map and a large appe-
tite, I begin an epicurean adventure across the
arrondissements to some of the city’s best North
African haunts.
GOODBYE GARLIC, HELLO COUSCOUS
It may have endless regional variations, but North
African cuisine can be generally said to rely on
slowly cooked meats, often prepared with fruits
such as apricots, quince or preserved lemons, and
a subtlety of spices rather than an aggressive addi-
tion of hot chili. Couscous is the carbohydrate of
choice from the region, although it’s prepared dif-
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