Tunisian national cuisine, alcohol, where and what to eat

The national cuisine of Tunisia is very diverse and multifaceted. It absorbed the culinary "preferences" of the Romans, Arabs, Turks and French during their domination of the country. And therefore, the European cuisine here is perfectly combined with the Eastern traditional, distinguished by the sharpness and spiciness of the dishes.

With the development of some branches of agriculture Tunisia meets the needs of the population in food, however, not yet in full. Mostly wheat, olives, fruits and vegetables are grown here. Beef and mutton are represented among the livestock products, fish and seafood are being fished. Thanks to this, local food products are used, although imports are not excluded.

What to eat in Tunisia

As in all Muslim countries, eating pork is strictly prohibited. Among the meat variety, mutton and beef are mainly used, as well as goat meat, camel meat (as a delicacy) and poultry meat. Meat can be purchased only in fresh form (no freezing!!!). For cooking various meat dishes, meat is cooked, as a rule, over high heat in a frying pan without adding oil, and either finely chopped (kebab), or cut into portions (shish kebab) or served whole (no minced meat). Traditional dishes: lamb in a pot, schorba (shorba) – spicy soup with vegetables and veal, brick – pasties of unleavened dough stuffed with eggs, minced meat or fish; fingers of Fatima – pancakes stuffed with minced meat and eggs.

Due to the location of Tunisia along the Mediterranean coast, fishing and seafood are actively conducted here. In addition, dishes from various varieties of fish and seafood are widely represented. True, they cost a little more than meat (for example: a kilogram of fresh beef costs 8-10 dinars, and a kilogram of fish costs 10-14 dinars), but they are used in the Tunisian diet quite often. There are such types of fish as tuna, mackerel, sardines, sea eel, crucian carp, bream, mutton, etc. Seafood is represented by shrimp, crabs, octopus, squid. The delicacies include octopus and cuttlefish. The cost of seafood is much more expensive than fish. Tuna is considered especially popular among Tunisians, it is inexpensive and tasty, and therefore it is often used in various dishes. This includes fish couscous, various salads and even pastries. Be sure to try the salad with tuna and fresh vegetables, as well as with tuna and fried vegetables - "meshuya".

Also on the menu there are necessarily dishes from eggs with the addition of various ingredients: fish, vegetables, sausages, meat. For example, an omelet with chicken, an egg with various additives - oja.

The undoubted favorite of any table is the favorite Tunisian dish – "couscous" - a dish of semolina, processed in a special way, and steamed with stewed vegetables and meat or fish. This traditional Arabic dish is both everyday and served on big holidays, the difference is in the quantity and set of ingredients included in the dish. The more significant the occasion, the more expensive and more products that make up the couscous. Be sure to try it!!!

Legumes, rice, noodles and vegetables are used as side dishes for meat and fish dishes. Vegetables are served both fresh (salads) and stewed with various ingredients (meat, fish, spices, hot pepper). Try meshue – stewed peppers, eggplants and carrots with garlic, shakshuka – fried egg with sweet pepper, tomatoes, onions, hot pepper, herbs and spices, sweet potato salad - spicy hot potato salad with cumin.

Cheese can be found from dairy products, but there are many different varieties. Milk and cottage cheese are not held in high esteem by the local population.

And what kind of oriental cuisine without all kinds of spices and spices: onions, garlic, chili peppers, ginger, herbs, coriander, anise, saffron and others. No main dish is complete without harissa – seasoning of hot pepper with garlic and olive oil. It is served in a separate bowl, and eaten with bread, dipping it in seasoning. By the way, in Tunisia, as in our country, it is customary to eat bread. It is represented by two types: a long French loaf and pita bread, which are broken exclusively by hand during the meal.

Summing up, we note the popular Tunisian dishes:

• Couscous is a semolina dish with stewed vegetables and meat (fish)
• Tagine – roast with lamb, vegetables and egg
• Mergues - spicy sausages
• Fatima's fingers (Maasem) – pancakes stuffed with chopped meat and eggs
• Brik (Brik) – a pasty made of unleavened dough with a filling of eggs, minced meat or fish
• Schorba or shorba (Chorba) – spicy soup with vegetables and veal
• Lalabli - thick soup of garlic and peas
• Salata batata - spicy hot potato salad with cumin
• Mechouia – salad with tuna and fried vegetables
• Tunisian Tuna Salad – salad with tuna and fresh vegetables
• Felfel mahchi - sweet pepper stuffed with lamb
• Chakchouka – an egg with sweet pepper, tomatoes, onions, garlic and hot pepper

But that's not all. Try and enjoy!

Sweets in Tunisia

Sweet lovers have plenty of space in Tunisia. Here you will find a lot of all sorts of goodies prepared on the basis of date molasses with the addition of nuts. All sweets are very delicate and amazingly delicious.

For dessert, you will be offered different types of baklava - a diamond-shaped cake made of several layers of dough with nut filling and honey. Be sure to try makroud (makroud) – a cake made of semolina with nut filling, cinnamon and candied fruits; samsa (samsa) – dough buns with chopped roasted almonds and sesame seeds; a cake made of rice and nuts called "malbia" (mhalbya). Very tasty butter–fried donuts with orange juice and glazed with honey syrup - yo-yo. And what are the various flavored cakes that smell of orange blossoms, with almonds, pistachios, dates or honey ... you can lick your fingers! Also try the most delicate custard with nuts – "assida". Exquisite oriental sweets - Turkish delight and halva. And do not forget about real Tunisian dates, which will be a great gift for your loved ones.

Fruits in Tunisia

You will not find a wide variety of fruits in Tunisia. However, everything that exists grows on the territory of the country. These are apples, oranges, tangerines, melons, watermelons, peaches, apricots, grapes, lemons, figs. Olives and olives are a business card of Tunisia, harvested in October-November. It is better to eat them pickled. As an exotic dish, you should try the fruits of the cactus, which you will find only in summer. Because of the tiny spines that easily break off and dig into the skin, you should not collect them yourself. Only juicy flesh is eaten. And yet, the fruits of the cactus are baked and even made jam.

Drinks in Tunisia

Soft drinks of Tunisia

The traditional Tunisian drink is green tea with mint, which is usually drunk hot and sweet. Pine nuts can be added to tea, which makes it even more saturated and tasty. Along with tea, cardamom coffee is very popular here.

Due to the growth of various fruits (oranges, peaches, lemons, grapes, etc.), freshly squeezed juices from them are always available. You can even try palm milk.

Although the tap water in the country complies with sanitary standards, however, we still did not advise using it. It is better to buy bottled water (a bottle of 1.5 liters costs about 0.5 dinars).

Alcohol in Tunisia

Alcohol consumption in Tunisia is prohibited according to religious canons. However, Tunisians are calm about drinking and sometimes even violate the prohibitions themselves. It is not possible to buy spirits in Tunisia at every turn, but it is still possible. They are mainly sold in state supermarkets "General" (General) and "Monoprix" (Monoprix), as well as in bars, restaurants and hotels.

Of course, you can buy alcohol in hotels without any problems. And if you live according to the "everything is included" system, then there will be no problems with alcohol at all.

The production and sale of alcoholic beverages and beer is controlled by the state. Alcohol is the cheapest in the state supermarkets "General".

Tunisia produces different types of table and dry wines:

Among the national Tunisian wines in the first place is the red wine "Magon" (Magon), "Chateau Mornag" or "Chateau Mornag" (Chateau Mornag), "Viex Magon" (Viex Magon), "Cartage" (Carthage). White wines - "Muscat de Kelibia", "Blanc de Blanc", "Sidi Saad", "Sidi Rais", as well as pink "Gris de Tunisie", "View de Tibar" and "Chateau Rossi."

Locally produced beer is represented by only one variety called Celtia.

Tunisians especially recommend trying strong (40% al.) local date liqueur "Tibarin" (Tibarin), vodka from figs "Boukha" (Boukha).

Where to eat in Tunisia

You can eat in Tunisia in tourist areas at almost every turn, whether it's a snack bar, cafe or restaurant. On average, for lunch in a cafe (meat with a side dish plus a drink) you will have to pay about 15 dinars (Tunisian currency) for one. Dinner at the restaurant will cost more – about 20-25 dinars for one.

Most hotels in Tunisia operate on an all-inclusive system. Here there is a place to roam spoiled Turkey and Egypt for Russian tourists. The dishes offered in hotels are designed primarily for tourists, and therefore the cuisine is mainly European. But in the menu of restaurants you can find dishes of different world cuisines.