After reading the New Yorker article, I was a little bit skeptical but I bit the bullet and ordered one jar to see for myself. Despite the not-so-perfect packaging, the contents are amazingly rich and delicious! My children are in love with the taste and the texture! Truly a wonderful product and one that Algeria should be very proud of. And the French, in typical French fashion, have hurt their own best interests by banning this delicacy simply to protect 'one of their own' -- shame!