Libyan vs Tunisian food & cuisine

Mint tea and coffee are enjoyed throughout the day. Mint tea can include pine nuts. Alcohol is available, and Tunisia produces local wines.

Bread is at the center of the table. Flatbreads, skillet breads and oven bakes follow nearly every meal. Pasta has become a major staple, too. It follows Italian influence but tastes distinctly Libyan. Pasta is usually made of semolina and paired with bold, spiced tomato sauces. Smaller shapes often go into soups.

Rice is enjoyed more here than in the rest of the western Maghreb. Close ties with Egypt helped shape that habit. It cooks in rich sauces or steams over meat and vegetables, and sometimes gets mixed with spices, nuts and dried fruits.

Bread accompanies most meals. Bread starts with tabouna, a round clay-oven bread with a crisp crust; mlawi, a flaky fried flatbread; barley bread khobz ch3ir; chapati Tunisien with herb or meat fillings; and kesra made from semolina and whole wheat. Fricassé, a stuffed fried dough, serves as a popular street snack, and of course, the French baguettes are on every corner.

Tunisian love for pasta is among the highest in the world! About 17 kg per person is consumed yearly, second only to Italy. Pasta dishes have thicker, spicier sauces with tomato paste, garlic, spices, and harissa.

Potato dishes in Libya often mean m’battan — thin-sliced potatoes stuffed with spiced minced lamb or beef, simmered in tomato sauce. It takes effort to make, but it becomes a comforting Ramadan meal.

Libyans also prepare stuffed vine leaves (lebrak) and stuffed vegetables (mahshi), using rice, herbs and minced meat, cooked in fragrant broth. These dishes taste even better a day later.

Fruits and dried fruits matter too. Dates stand out — used in desserts, stews, preserves and even drizzled on porridge or added to tea. Other common fruits include figs, apricots and oranges.

Potatoes are a relatively recent addition to Tunisian cuisine, which turned into convenience food in the form of French fries. In rural areas, potatoes are still considered a side.

Mashed salads are also common. Mechouia, one of the most popular dishes, combines grilled peppers, tomatoes, onions, eggplant, and garlic, all mixed with olive oil and lemon juice. It can be topped with tuna, eggs, olives, or capers.

Fresh figs, pomegranates, dates, and oranges are popular snacks. Dates and figs may be stuffed with nuts. Preserved lemons are widely used for a distinctive flavor that fresh lemons don’t provide. Dried fruits also appear in savory dishes, pairing well with lamb or chicken.

Beef is also eaten, but only when the animal becomes older and of less economic use. Camel meat still supports nomadic communities and continues to be part of local diets. Camel meat stands as a lean, nutritious alternative; its protein content reaches around 18.3 % while fat stays low.

Drying meat is a long-standing preservation method. In Libya it’s known as qarqush or qiddeed. Strips of meat dry in the sun for several days and demand careful handling, so many people make it at home. During Eid Adha, rooftops fill with hanging meat destined for traditional dishes like homemade pasta with qiddeed.

Coastal regions still enjoy seafood from time to time. For example, locals dry octopus or squid in the sun for several days, then boil and simmer them in a herby tomato stew. Often they serve this with couscous. Seafood lunches or dinners often feature tomato, garlic, cumin, salad, and a spicy hararat seasoning mix.

Canned tuna is a major staple:  they put it on bowls of stew, dollop it on top of pasta, stuff it in brik, and toss it on the grilled salat, arrange tuna in a decorative pattern along with a quartered hard-boiled egg and olives. Pizza in Tunisia arrives with a handful of canned tuna in the middle, even if it’s pizza Margherita!

Dairy products are a primary food for Bedouins, whose frequent meal may be a bowl of yogurt and rice topped with ghee. Camel milk, a traditional staple for many desert-dwelling peoples across North Africa, is also consumed. Its flavor is creamy and slightly salty, but not heavy.

Clarified and fermented butters, made from goat, sheep, or cow’s milk, are staples. Smen, or rancid fermented butter, is a heritage product, made by mixing butter with salt and sometimes spices. Heated water is used to clarify the butter, and after removing excess water, the butter is stored in jars for at least six months to ferment.

Libyan desserts rely on dates, honey, almonds, pine nuts and semolina. Warm cinnamon and cardamom, along with rosewater, give them their signature aroma. They’re usually very sweet, but served in small portions with mint tea or strong coffee to keep the balance.

Tunisia is a land of olives, and olive oil is entrenched in culture. Tunisia is the fourth biggest olive oil producer worldwide.

Tunisian desserts share many traits with Moroccan, Algerian, and Libyan sweets. They rely on rich sweetness, dates, honey, delicate pastries, semolina bases, and floral waters. At the same time, Tunisian treats more often highlight local fruits, olive oil, and spices like aniseed. Many come in doughnut-like shapes, fried, then dipped in syrup or coated with sugar.