American vs Tunisian food & cuisine

Chicken is the top protein by far, with beef and pork trailing behind, and cheese (especially cheddar and mozzarella) is practically everywhere. In American stores, potatoes show up in every guise – fresh, mashed, frozen fries, chips. Sugar and corn syrup slip into sodas, condiments, and nearly every snack on the shelf.

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

Pancakes and pizza are other carbohydrate favorites. Pancakes are fluffy, baking powder–leavened cakes served here with butter, syrup, or fruit. Pizza, brought by Italian immigrants, spread nationwide with regional styles like New York thin crust and Chicago deep dish.

Mac and cheese is a comfort classic of pasta baked in cheese sauce, now a staple in every kitchen. Breakfast cereals, invented in the U.S., became a quick breakfast, especially for children.

Corn remains central to Southern cooking and fast food, eaten as cornbread, grits, tortillas, popcorn, or sweet corn. Rice’s role is smaller, but is key in Southern, Cajun, Creole, and Asian American dishes, from jambalaya to fried rice.

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.

Americans consume sweet potatoes more frequently and in a wider variety of ways than people in most countries.

Fruits are snacks and breakfast additions to cereal and yogurt, they feature desserts – apples, cherry pies, cobblers, cakes, ice cream toppings, juices, smoothies, and sauces – apple sauce, cranberry sauce, chutneys.  In the U.S., a big chunk of what counts as ‘fruit consumption’ is actually fruit juice, especially orange, which for decades was seen as a breakfast essential.

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.

Meat is associated with American identity, strength, reinforced through social and media narratives, though concerns about health, sustainability, and animal welfare are beginning to challenge consumption patterns.

Barbecue culture, BBQ ribs, slow-cooked pork or beef ribs with smoky barbecue sauce are super American foods. Americans now eat 50 billion burgers a year. Many assume burgers and hot dogs are low-end foods, but in the U.S., chefs now elevate them with dry-aged beef, foie gras, or artisan buns, making them gourmet, Instagram-worthy, and still culturally familiar.

Turkey is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving. Outside of holidays, turkey isn’t eaten as frequently, especially whole. Instead, it appears as sliced deli meat, ground (a leaner substitute for beef), or as sausage.

Fried chicken was not invented in the U.S., but it was transformed there into the globally recognized dish we know today.  In the U.S. South, fried chicken became distinctive: heavily seasoned, with a crispy crust, deep-fried in oil.

Today, American meat traditions sit at a crossroads: cherished for tradition, questioned for their climate impact.  Beef consumption gradually declines, chicken rises, and new options like blended proteins and lab-grown meat emerge alongside growing environmental awareness.

Asian American communities, especially in Hawaii and along the West Coast, helped make raw and grilled fish more common. Caribbean and Latin American communities contributed to the popularity of ceviche, salted fish, and other coastal favorites, especially in Florida and urban areas.

Shrimp, tuna, and salmon are staples in the U.S., shrimp is the most popular seafood overall. Canned tuna is the second most popular seafood product. Of those Americans who eat canned tuna, the vast majority, 83 percent, eat it for lunch. In fact, canned tuna is the only regularly consumed seafood at lunch.

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!

Cheddar consistently ranks as the #1 or #2 most-produced cheese. The U.S. cheddar is milder, moister, and more uniform than traditional English versions. Philadelphia cream cheese is an American invention that has become globally popular.

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.

Americans have a strong cultural sweet tooth, and their desserts tend to be very sweet and indulgent, often using large amounts of sugar, butter, and cream. The portion sizes of desserts also tend to be larger than in many cultures. Generally, desserts focus on ease, comfort, and sharing, not ceremony.

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.