Baku Kitchen! An independent reference of traditional food

Tunisia

North Africa’s spiciest table: harissa-fired couscous, tuna-egg street snacks and grilled salads shaped by Mediterranean and Berber traditions. That is the short version of what Tunisia cooks. Look for Couscous (steamed semolina often crowned with fish, in harissa-red spicy broth), Brik (shatteringly crisp malsouka pastry around runny egg, tuna, capers and parsley) and Harissa (fiery sun-dried chili and garlic paste seasoning nearly every Tunisian dish). Tunisia joined Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania in the 2020 UNESCO listing of couscous knowledge; Tunisian versions are reddened with harissa and often built on fish. This atlas has 44 Tunisia dishes catalogued below, from everyday cooking to food kept for festivals and special occasions.

44 dishes.

Assidat zgougouAssidat zgougouAleppo-pine cream pudding layered with custard and nuts for MouledBambalouniBambalouniairy fried doughnut ring showered with sugar; Sidi Bou Said treatBoukhaBoukhaclear fig brandy drunk chilled as an aperitif or over iceBouzaBouzathick sorghum or hazelnut cream pudding topped with crushed nutsBrikBrikshatteringly crisp malsouka pastry around runny egg, tuna, capers and parsleyBsissaBsissaRoasted barley and chickpea flour with fennel and coriander, mixed with oilChamiaChamiaCrumbly sesame halva pressed into blocks and sliced onto breadChorbaChorbapeppery Ramadan soup of frik wheat or pasta with lamb and corianderCouscousCouscoushand-rolled steamed semolina with vegetable and meat broth; the national dishDeblaDeblaRibbons of dough fried into rose shapes, dipped in honey and sesameDrooDrooWarm sorghum porridge with milk, sugar and chopped nutsFricasséFricassésmall fried bun stuffed with tuna, harissa, olives, egg and potatoHarissaHarissafiery sun-dried chili and garlic paste seasoning nearly every Tunisian dishHrousHroussalted onion and dried-chili paste fermented for weeks, used like a stockKaak WarkaKaak Warkadelicate almond-paste rings scented with rosewater, the Tunis wedding pastryKaddidKaddidmutton strips salted with coriander and chili, sun-dried and stored in fatKaftejiKaftejichopped fried peppers, tomatoes, squash and potato with eggKouchaKouchalamb shoulder baked in a clay dish with potatoes, turmeric and peppersLablabiLablabiHot chickpeas in cumin broth, ladled into bowls on cold evenings.LegmiLegmidate-palm sap, sweet when fresh and mildly alcoholic within hours of tappingMadfounaMadfounaChard, white beans and meat stewed slowly with cumin and corianderMakroudhMakroudhKairouan's date-filled semolina diamonds, fried and soaked in honeyMarka hlowaMarka hlowaSweet lamb stew with quince, prunes or dried fruit and cinnamonMerguezMerguezspicy grilled lamb sausage with harissa, tucked into crusty breadMhamsaMhamsalarge hand-rolled couscous grains simmered in a spicy lamb and chickpea brothMlawiMlawiLayered semolina flatbread griddled in oil and folded around harissa, tuna or cheeseMloukhiaMloukhiainky slow-cooked jute-leaf sauce with beef, ladled over rice or breadMuscat de KelibiaMuscat de Kelibiadry aromatic white muscat from Cap Bon, Tunisia's most exported wineOjjaOjjaeggs scrambled into spicy tomato-pepper sauce, often with merguez or shrimpOmmek HouriaOmmek Houriamashed carrots with harissa, caraway and lemon, topped with tuna and eggOsbaneOsbanesheep tripe stuffed with liver, rice, chard and herbs, then simmeredRigoutaRigoutaFresh unsalted whey cheese from Beja, spooned onto bread or into pastriesSamsaSamsalayered pastry squares of almond and sesame steeped in rose syrupShakshoukaShakshoukaEggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce, eaten from the panSlata mechouiaSlata mechouiasmoky grilled pepper and tomato salad with tuna, egg and olive oilTabilTabilground coriander, caraway, garlic and chili, the base Tunisian seasoning

  • Samsa

    Layered pastry squares of almond and sesame steeped in rose syrup. Ready in 50 min prep and 30 min cooking.…

  • Assidat zgougou

    Aleppo-pine cream pudding layered with custard and nuts for Mouled. Ready in 40 min prep and 45 min cooking. 8…

  • Bambalouni

    Airy fried doughnut ring showered with sugar; Sidi Bou Said treat. Ready in 20 min prep and 20 min cooking.…

  • Bouza

    Thick sorghum or hazelnut cream pudding topped with crushed nuts. Ready in 10 min prep and 40 min cooking. 6…

  • Bsissa

    Roasted barley and chickpea flour with fennel and coriander, mixed with oil. Ready in 20 min prep and 40 min…

  • Chamia

    Crumbly sesame halva pressed into blocks and sliced onto bread. Ready in 30 minutes prep and 20 minutes cooking. About…

  • Chorba

    Peppery Ramadan soup of frik wheat or pasta with lamb and coriander. Ready in 25 min prep and 1 hr…

  • Debla

    Ribbons of dough fried into rose shapes, dipped in honey and sesame. Ready in 45 min prep and 45 min…

  • Droo

    Warm sorghum porridge with milk, sugar and chopped nuts. Ready in 10 minutes prep and 40 minutes cooking. Serves 6.…

  • Fricassé

    Small fried bun stuffed with tuna, harissa, olives, egg and potato. Ready in 40 min prep and 20 min cooking.…