Beghrir is a traditional style of pancake which originates from the Berbers, an indigenous ethnic group from North Africa. It’s a popular breakfast meal & daytime snack & often served with a honey-butter mixture, although they also taste wonderful with chocolate!

The Berbers have been around North Africa for thousands of years & are mentioned as far back as end of the Roman Empire. Nowadays, there are around 25 million people speaking Berber in the region, mainly in Morocco & Algeria. The Berber people are also associated with more rural environments, such as the nomadic Tuaregs who travel the Northern Sahara desert.

Ancient Berber culture is rich & diverse, notably their music & dance. Berber music is especially interesting & it’s styles range from Celtic – with bagpipes & oboes – to Chinese influences, all of which are combined with African rhythms. Probably the most famous Berber music comes from the Master Musicians of Jajouka, a large all-male collective who originate from the Rif Mountains, near Tangiers. They were named as such by beat writers Paul Bowles & William Burroughs during the 50’s, while Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones produced one of their albums in 1967. Their sound is wonderfully trippy & derives from Sufi trance music, which is over 1000 years old. To learn more, check out this excellent article from the Quietus

Now back to those delicious pancakes…..& to make them four decent-sized Beghrirs, you’ll need:

1/2 teacup of fine grain semolina
1/2 teacup of white flour
1/2 teacup of luke warm water
1/2 teacup of milk
1/2 teaspoon of dried yeast
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 medium egg
A pinch of salt & sugar

1. Simply add all the ingredients in to a bowl, whisk thoroughly & leave for around thirty minutes.
2. Then add a little butter to large, medium-heat frying pan, pour in a quarter of the mixture & almost cook as you would a normal pancake…..the difference being that you don’t flip them. By not flipping, you’ll see a lovely holed texture develop on the top.

Just keep an eye on the base of the Beghrir & once the top appears dry & cooked, then serve. Bon appetite!