North Africa
Tunisia
Harissa nation: brik, couscous and the fieriest Maghrebi table.
Staples
- Kosksi (steamed durum semolina couscous)
- Khobz tabouna (fermented flatbread baked in clay ovens)
- Malsouka (paper-thin circular pastry leaves)
- Frik (cracked green durum wheat)
- Loubia (white kidney beans)
Seasonings
- Harissa (Baklouti red chili paste with garlic and caraway)
- Tabil (ground coriander, caraway, garlic, and chili blend)
- Zit zitoun (cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil)
- Dhan (aged fermented clarified sheep butter)
- Krouia (aromatic ground wild caraway seeds)
Techniques
- Steaming semolina grains over layered broths
- Flash-frying stuffed malsouka leaves into brik
- Simmering slow-reduced tomato and pepper sauces
- Baking dough rounds on clay oven walls
At the table
Tunisian home meals are typically orchestrated by female matriarchs and anchored by a communal platter of red-sauced couscous crowned with seasonal vegetables and braised mutton or fish, eaten alongside dishes of fiery slata mechouiya scooped with fresh bread. While coastal tables in Cap Bon and Sfax are distinguished by fresh seafood and sun-dried aromatics, the arid southern interior revolves around preserved mutton (geddid) and heavy barley gruels.
32 recipes across 7 courses
Ask AI for moreBreakfast
Droo (Sweet Sorghum and Milk Breakfast Porridge)
A velvety, nutty breakfast porridge of whole grain sorghum flour scented with geranium water and topped with roasted nuts.
Ghlighla (Spiced Steamed Chickpea and Fava Bean Broth)
A steaming, cumin-heavy morning broth of tender chickpeas and split fava beans drizzled with pungent olive oil and harissa.
Lablabi (Tunisian Spiced Chickpea and Bread Soup)
Pungent, cumin-spiked chickpea broth poured over torn stale bread, crowned with a soft poached egg, tuna, and harissa.
Soup
Chorba Frik (Cracked Green Wheat and Tomato Soup)
A rich, velvety tomato and lamb broth thickened with smoky green durum wheat and brightened with fresh mint and lemon.
Hsou (Semolina, Mint, and Vinegar Broth with Meatballs)
A tangy, comforting semolina-thickened broth scented with caraway and dried mint, filled with spiced bite-sized meatballs.
Main
Barkoukesh (Hand-Rolled Giant Couscous with Seafood)
Plump hand-rolled durum grains simmered in a rich, fiery tomato and octopus broth laden with coastal Kerkennah sea treasures.
Bazin (Steamed Barley Flour Dome in Tomato Meat Stew)
A firm, sculpted barley flour dome enveloped by a fiery tomato-based lamb stew, crowned with hard-boiled eggs and blistered chili peppers.
Chakchouka bil Qadid (Spicy Pepper Stew with Sun-Dried Preserved Meat)
A rustic, smoky skillet stew of sun-dried cured meat, sweet peppers, ripe tomatoes, and soft-poached eggs.
Charmoula Sfaxienne (Caramelized Onion-Raisin Purée with Salted Fish)
A rich, slow-simmered dark raisin and caramelized onion jam paired with poached salt-cured fish for a balanced sweet-savory feast.
Gnaouia (Braised Okra, Lamb, and Pepper Stew)
A velvety, tangy Cap Bon stew of tender braised lamb shoulder and petite whole okra pods simmered with sun-ripened tomatoes and peppers.
Kamounia (Cumin-Spiced Beef Liver and Meat Stew)
An earthy, unctuous stew of tender beef chunks and flash-seared liver simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce layered with fresh cumin.
Kosksi bil Allouch (Tunisian Couscous with Lamb)
Fluffy semolina grains steamed over a fiery tomato and lamb broth laden with root vegetables and squash.
Kosksi bil Allouch (Tunisian Spicy Lamb Couscous)
Fluffy steamed semolina perfumed with spicy harissa broth, tender lamb, chickpeas, and sweet root vegetables.
Madfouna (Slow-Cooked Swiss Chard and Beef Stew)
An inky, deeply unctuous Jewish-Tunisian stew of beef shank, marrow, and white beans slow-cooked until the fried Swiss chard fully melts.
Malthouth (Broken Barley Stew with Seasonal Vegetables)
A hearty southern Tunisian broken barley stew slow-simmered with lamb, root vegetables, chickpeas, and sun-dried harissa.
Mloukhia (Slow-Braised Jute Leaf and Beef Stew)
A deep green, slow-simmered stew of pulverized dried jute leaves, tender braised beef chunks, and garlic olive oil.
Ojja bil Merguez (Spicy Tunisian Egg and Merguez Skillet)
Sizzling lamb merguez sausages simmered in a piquant tomato and pepper sauce with softly poached eggs.
Tajine Maadnous (Baked Egg, Minced Meat, and Parsley Cake)
A savory, golden-crusted baked egg and minced meat cake layered with flat-leaf parsley and sharp cheese.
Side
Harissa (Tunisian Chili and Garlic Paste)
A fiery, sun-drenched crimson condiment ground from smoked baklouti chilies, pungent garlic, and toasted desert spices.
Khobz Mbesses (Fennel and Anise-Flavored Semolina Griddle Bread)
A crumbly, golden-crusted semolina griddle bread fragrant with olive oil, wild fennel, and anise, baked to a rich tawny crisp on an earthenware tajine.
Khobz Tabouna (Clay-Oven Sourdough Bread)
A smoky, blistered flatbread made from coarse semolina and wild aromatics, traditionally slapped onto the red-hot clay walls of an outdoor tabouna.
Slata Mechouia (Tunisian Charred Vegetable Salad)
Charred peppers, tomatoes, and garlic hand-pounded into a smoky relish garnished with tuna, boiled eggs, and olive oil.
Slata Omek Houria (Spiced Mashed Carrot and Caraway Salad)
Tender boiled carrots crushed into a velvety, fiery relish infused with freshly ground caraway, garlic, and sun-drenched Tunisian harissa.
Dessert
Assidat Zgougou (Aleppo Pine Seed Custard)
A velvety, aromatic Aleppo pine seed pudding layered with silky white pastry cream and adorned with toasted nuts.
Makroudh (Semolina, Date, and Orange Blossom Pastry)
Gilded, diamond-shaped semolina pastries stuffed with spiced dates, fried crisp, and drenched in fragrant orange blossom syrup.
Yoyo (Honey-Dipped Citrus Doughnut Rings)
Tender golden fried semolina doughnuts scented with orange zest and soaked in a fragrant lemon-and-geranium honey syrup.
Zrir (Toasted Sesame, Hazelnut, and Honey Paste)
A rich, nutty confection of roasted sesame and hazelnuts emulsified into warm honey and butter, served in celebratory cups.
Drink
Citronnade Tunisienne (Sweet Whole-Pureed Lemonade with Almonds)
A cloudy, refreshing whole-lemon beverage perfumed with orange blossom water and garnished with crisp toasted almonds.
Legmi (Fresh Sweet Date Palm Sap)
A pristine, effervescent, and naturally sweet elixir harvested fresh from southern Tunisian date palms before the desert sun sparks wild fermentation.
Street food
Brik bil Azma (Tunisian Crisp Egg and Tuna Pastry)
Shatteringly crisp pastry pockets concealing a rich filling of flaked tuna, capers, parsley, and a runny whole egg.
Fricassé (Fried Mini Rolls Filled with Tuna, Potato, and Capers)
Golden, airy fried yeast rolls slit open and stuffed with spicy harissa, flaked tuna, diced potatoes, briny capers, and hard-boiled eggs.
Kafteji (Fried Summer Vegetable Hash with Runny Eggs)
A rustic, hand-cleaved melody of fried summer vegetables, fiery peppers, and runny eggs bound with caraway and olive oil.