Tunisian food: discover traditional cuisine

BRIK – or borek, tiny parcels of thin warqa dough filled with eggs, tuna, onions, parsley, harissa, and deep fried. Meat, cheese, and vegetarian versions are also popular.

FRICASSE – fried doughnuts from fried bread filled with tuna, boiled potato, olives, harissa, and sometimes capers, highlighting the French influence on sandwich-making with a Tunisian twist.

BSISSA – roasted and ground cereals (wheat or barley) and legumes (like chickpeas or lentils), mixed with spices and sometimes nuts or seeds – ancient nutritious food.

COUSCOUS – semolina grains steamed over a broth, topped with cumin, coriander, and turmeric-flavored vegetables and legumes, dried fruits, and meat. Served on a large platter for a communal meal.

BORZGANE – a sweet and savory couscous that mixes crunchy dried fruits and tender meat. It is a festive couscous prepared to welcome spring.

MASFOUF – is extra–fine sweet couscous doused with olive oil before steaming and then mixed with butter and sugar. It is flavored with orange blossom or geranium water and decorated with nuts, dates, and other fruits for serving.

HARIRA – rich soup from lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes (optionally meat), and various herbs and spices, creating a satisfying and nourishing meal.

SLATA MECHOUIA – a grilled vegetable salad made with peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic, seasoned with olive oil, coriander, and caraway.

SLATA TUNISIA – fresh salad from chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and fresh herbs, often topped with boiled egg, canned tuna, olives, and olive oil.

OMEK HOURIA – boiled mashed carrots with garlic, caraway seeds, vinegar, olive oil and harissa.

FELFEL MEHCHI – sweet peppers stuffed with meat, usually lamb, and served with harissa sauce.

PKAILA or BKAILA – Tunisian Jewish spinach stew with beans, prepared for holidays, paired with couscous, or eaten alone.

CAPONATA – a sweet and sour stew of eggplant and other vegetables, of Italian origin.

KHCHEF – quince jam.

ORANGE SALAD WITH CINNAMON – dessert or side dish, featuring sliced oranges sprinkled with cinnamon and sometimes sugar.

LABLABI – chickpea and bread soup beloved all year round. Its primary ingredient is chickpeas, which are soaked overnight and then simmered until tender. The broth is typically flavored with garlic, cumin, caraway, and sometimes harissa. A unique aspect of serving Lablabi is its customization at the table. The soup is poured over pieces of stale or toasted bread, often a day-old baguette, which soaks up the broth. Toppings include olive oil, additional harissa, capers, olives, and lemon juice, allowing individuals to adjust the flavor to their liking. Also common is addition of a soft-poached or hard-boiled egg on top.

AGNEAU À LA GARGOULETTE – is a regional specialty: slow–cooked, saffron–scented lamb and potatoes stew in an earthenware vessel over a charcoal fire.

MARQA JELBANA – is a slow–cooked stew with meat, tomato paste, onion, garlic, peas, and potatoes, served with freshly baked bread.

MADFOUNA – specialty stew made from spinach, minced meat, and white beans flavored with coriander.

MERMEZ – hearty, filling chickpea stew of onions prepared with lamb or beef, garlic, harissa, tomato paste, peppers, and spices.

TAGINE EL BEY – is a lavish layered pie from finely minced lamb or beef and cheese, interspersed with layers of spinach or Swiss chard and enveloped in a fragrant mixture of eggs and spices.

KAMOUNIA – beef liver stew, where the essential flavoring is cumin.

MARKET KHODHRA – is a traditional stew made of veal, spinach, chard, parsley, and chickpeas, and coriander.

BNADEK – grinded spiced lamb or been meatballs, consumed as an appetizer or added to a stew/sauce or soups.

CHRAIME – spicy fish stew with tomatoes and paprika. Tunisian Jewish dish.

POISSON COMPLET – a whole char-grilled fish accompanied by fried potatoes, fried egg, harissa and grilled chili pepper.

KABKABOU – grouper, tuna, or mackerel stewed in the sauce made of tomato paste, harissa, garlic, onion, cumin, saffron, and oil. Garnished with capers and olives.

STUFFED SQUID – Squid stuffing may consist of chard, spinach, parsley, a small quantity of sheep liver, cooked chickpeas, rice or bulgur.

TAGINE – a baked omelet-like dish with beaten eggs, cheese, parsley, and fillings like meat, poultry, or seafood, flavored with harissa, turmeric, and cumin.

SHAKSHOUKA – savory dish of tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, cumin, and paprika, garnished with fresh parsley or cilantro. Sometimes include artichokes or potatoes, but egg is not mandatory.

OJJA – similar to shakshuka ,but often includes merguez, cooked in a tomato and pepper sauce with garlic, spices, and sometimes cheese, finished with eggs.

KAAK WARKA – bite-sized delicate doughnuts filled with marzipan and flavored with rosewater.

MAKROUD – A sweet pastry made from semolina, filled with dates or almonds, then fried and soaked in syrup.

BAMBALONI – fried sweet dough rings, deep fried and sprinkled with sugar or soaked in honey.

BAKLAWA – layers of thin pastry filled with ground almonds or hazelnuts, flavored with cinnamon and orange blossom water.

GARN GHZEL – gazelle horn – crescent shape cookies filled with almond and orange blossom filling, topped with crushed pistachios.