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.