Those who thought that the pinnacle of Algerian nationalism was limited to political statements need not be mistaken. Indeed, it has now reached supermarket shelves with El Mordjenea spread that dreams of being Nutella, but which, let’s be honest, has little trouble taking off.
And yet, the Algerian press is inflamed. There is talk of threatening the big brands, of conquering foreign markets, while a few pots are timidly selling in Maghreb grocery stores in Paris.
Algeria, this country where the slightest imported product can turn into a geopolitical drama, has therefore found its new hero: El Mordjene. If, like millions of citizens of France or elsewhere, you had never heard of it until TikTok forced it under your nose, that’s normal.
TikTok madness and false glory
The funniest part of this whole thing is how the spread exploded thanks to TikTok. Ah, social media! A few viral videos, a handful of influencers tasting the spread with forced enthusiasm, and voila…The Mordjene becomes ” Algerian Nutella “.
Even if the numbers don’t follow – a few dozen pots sold here and there, far from the millions of Nutella – the perception is quite different. In Algeria, people are jubilant, without really realizing that the popularity of this product is a microscopic phenomenon, artificially inflated by the magic of likes and shares.
This spread, which dreams of dethroning Nutella, has become in a few weeks Algeria’s favorite weapon to “conquer” France… with a spoon in hand, of course. The story begins as it often does with a few TikTok videos where influencers, armed with small spoons and exaggerated enthusiasm, declare: “El Mordjene is better than Nutella!”.
Without further ado, the Algerians get excited: finally, irrefutable proof that their culinary know-how beats the colonial powers hands down. It doesn’t matter that France hasn’t exactly collapsed under the weight of El Mordjene’s pots; the homeland is jubilant.
When a spread becomes a diplomatic weapon
The context is essential: since France’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara, everything is good for fueling the flame of an exacerbated anti-Francism. Even a modest spread becomes, in this tense climate, the instrument of a symbolic revenge on the former colonizer.
The ban onEl Mordjene in Europe? Nothing more normal, shouts the Algerian press, France could not tolerate such unfair competition, obviously. What is ignored is that this ban results from the strict rules on the importation of non-compliant dairy products, and not from a sudden terror in the face of the Algerian agri-food offensive.
It is said that French stores can no longer keep stock, that the product threatens the European food industry. But this is forgetting a much less sexy reality: El Mordjene has simply never had the legal authorizations to be sold in Europe. What is the fault of? That good old milk that does not comply with European standards. A detail that the Algerian press, always eager for controversy and nationalist scenarios, prefers to omit.
Victim of its success or of a bitter reality?
The reality, unfortunately for our Algerian friends, is much less glamorous. El Mordjene is not banned because of its success. It has simply never been authorized, due to lack of compliance with European standards. However, this does not prevent the press from feeding the fantasy of a product banned because it threatens the big players in the sector.
Ah, if only it were true! Maybe in another world, the small factory in Oran would have dethroned Ferrero. But for now, the battle is taking place mainly on social networks, between tasting videos and conspiracy theories.
In the end, the saga El Mordjene is nothing more than a mirror held up to an Algeria that is desperately trying to exist in a world in which its past revolts seem far away. This country, which has seen battles far more important than those of supermarket shelves, is now clinging to a spread like a last breath of national pride.
Buzz of the century… or collective illusion
But, let’s be honest, Nutella has probably never slept so well. However, what does it matter, in this Algeria where anti-French sentiment has reached new heights since Paris recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara. A new hobby horse was needed. Finally, what better than a diplomatic conflict disguised as a culinary debate to rekindle the national flame?
The story has grown into a snowball, the product has become a symbol, and the Algerian media are enjoying it: El Mordjene, this pot of sweet resistance. The question was never whether El Mordjene will dethrone Nutella, but how far is Algeria prepared to go to transform a simple slice of toast into a political manifesto.
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