Yasmina Sellam (ياسمينة سلام), born in Mila, between Constantine and Sétif in 1955, is an agricultural engineer and a key figure in Algerian gastronomy.

Yasmina Sellam is an Algerian agronomist and gastronomist with a passion for local cuisine. After teaching for five years at the National Institute of Agronomy (INA) and then at the École Normale Supérieure, she decided to devote herself fully to gastronomy. Her work highlights the authenticity of Algeria's culinary heritage, dating back to Antiquity and incorporating diverse influences, including Numidian, Umayyad, Abbasid, Andalusian, and Ottoman.

"Algerian gastronomy is the most varied in the Maghreb due to the vastness of the territory. We have red and spicy dishes in the south and east. We have white in the cities. It didn't come from the Ottomans because Massinissa ate white. We are the only ones in the Maghreb to have white sauces. We have yellow sauces from Andalusian cuisine. We have many traces of Ottoman and Abbasid cuisine. Our cuisine is not heavy-handed. We use spices sparingly. We flavor our meats but we don't overpower them with spicy flavors."

In 2011, she opened a table d'hôte called "Dar Djeddi" at her home in Bouchaoui, where she offers organic and healthy cuisine inspired by local flavors. She has also launched a range of organic products and opened a delicatessen. Her culinary approach is based on an in-depth knowledge of food and its impact on health, with a focus on preserving ancestral know-how. Her commitment to Algerian cuisine extends beyond recipes: she seeks to convey a true gastronomic culture and promote local culinary traditions.

In 2022, Yasmina Sellam published the book "Culinary Memory of Algeria, History of Recipes" with ANEP, which explores Algerian gastronomy through the history of food and universal gastronomic literature. In May 2023, the 119-page book won first prize at the international "Gourmand World Cookbook Awards" competition in Umea, Sweden.