Sophistication and tradition

Tunisian cuisine has its classics, like couscous with lamb or fish; as a starter, you can try a Tunisian “tagine” – a thick omelette with vegetables and cheese, not unlike a Spanish tortilla – and a “mechouia” salad – grilled, crushed tomatoes and peppers. Also worth a try are a traditional stew, or “marqa” (with potatoes, vegetables and peas), “mosli” (baked fish or lamb), “complet poisson” (grilled fish and fried vegetables) or “kabkabou” (fish stew with olives and confit lemon). In the souks in medinas, you’ll find some delicious snacks to satisfy you if you’re feeling a bit peckish: the famous crispy, golden egg “brik”, a little “fricassé” sandwich, “kafteji” (summer vegetables with egg, fried and then mixed up), or a bowl of “lablabi” (spicy chickpea soup).

Pull up a chair in a palace or “fondouk” (a roadside inn) that has been converted into a restaurant, you’ll enjoy the best that Tunisian gastronomy has to offer. For example, couscous with grouper, quince and rosebuds; a plate of stiffed vegetables, “fondouk el ghalla”; or stewed sweet and sour lamb with prunes and almonds, “marqa h’loua”. For pudding, try “bouza”, a pistachio cream, or a pastry flavoured with rosewater. Then wash it all down with some mint tea and pine nuts.