Alternative names | Saboun dzair, Algerian black soap, Algerian brown soap, Algerian liquid soap |
---|---|
Place of origin | Algeria |
Algerian soap, locally known as Saboun dzair (Arabic: صابون الدزاير) which translates to "Soap of Algeria", is an artisanal soap made using ingredients such as olive oil, fatty acids, and potassium.[1][2][3] Algerians have been crafting this soap through generations-old, natural artisanal techniques, This often involves natural, artisanal processes that do not rely on modern industrial methods.[4][5][6]
Algerian soap typically comes in shades of brown, sometimes black, and occasionally yellow, depending on its composition and manufacturing method. It is characterized by its viscosity and semi-liquid state, sold by weight, and displayed in large barrels in herb and natural product stores.[7]
They make black soap with olive oil and caustic soda or ashes from oleanders
It is true that soap is not rare [in Algeria], as there is not a single village that does not produce it. The oil used in soap-making itself is a local product, with the territory of Beni Abbes covered with olive trees.