TunisiaWhat to eat in Tunisia: top 10 dishes
Traveling to Tunisia? These are the ten dishes it is best known for, from everyday staples to festive classics, with a short background and a tip on where and when to eat each one. Ranked by how widely they are known around the world.
01Mechouia salad
Mechouia salad (Tunisian Arabic: سلاطة مشوية, romanized: slata meshwiya, "grilled salad") is a Tunisian salad. A very popular first course dish from Tunisia, a country in North Africa that appreciates spiciness, it is especially consumed in the summer.
Travel tip Mechouia is a common starter at Tunisian restaurants, especially in summer. Scoop it up with bread and eat it as a dip or alongside grilled fish and meat.
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02Lablabi
Lablabi or lablebi (لبلابي) is a traditional Tunisian dish based on chickpeas in a thin garlic- and cumin-flavored broth, served over small pieces of stale crusty bread.
Travel tip Lablabi is a cheap, warming breakfast or snack, often eaten in winter at small local eateries. You usually get a bowl with bread, then add egg, tuna, harissa and olive oil to your own taste.
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03Fricasse
A fricasse (Arabic: فريكسي or فريكاسي) is a savory fried yeasted bread often filled with tuna, hard-boiled egg, olives, harissa, preserved lemons, capers and mashed potato, with turmeric as a condiment.
Travel tip Fricassé is a popular street snack, sold hot from bakeries and snack counters. Eat it right away while the dough is still crisp, and check how much harissa goes in.
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04Bambalouni
Bambalouni (Arabic: بمبالوني), also referred to as bambaloni, is a sweet Tunisian donut. It can be made at home or bought from fast food shops. It is prepared with a flour dough fried in oil. The bambaloni is eaten sprinkled with sugar or soaked in honey.
Travel tip Bambalouni is a sweet fried treat typically eaten warm for breakfast or as a snack, especially at the seaside in summer. Look for it at street stalls and fast-food shops.
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05Assidat zgougou
Assidat zgougou, literally Aleppo nut cream, is a Tunisian dessert often adorned with decorative patterns of pine nuts, pistachios and hazelnuts.
Travel tip Assidat zgougou is a seasonal dessert made for Mawlid, the celebration of the Prophet's birthday. Visitors at that time of year will see it in homes and pastry shops, often served in small cups.
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06Ummak huriyya salad
Ummak huriyya salad (Arabic: امك حورية) is a Tunisian salad made up of carrots, onions, garlic, salt, spices, harissa, olive oil, lemon juice and then decorated with parsley, olives and eggs.
Travel tip This carrot salad is a common starter or side dish, often part of a mix of small plates at the start of a meal. Eat it with bread, and expect a spicy kick from the harissa.
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07Kabkabou
Kabkabou or Kabkabu (Arabic: كبكابو) is a fish and tomato stew traditionally prepared in Tunisia. The dish consists of a sauce in which fish steak is cooked, and capers, olives and lemons are added.
Travel tip Kabkabou is a fish stew best eaten in coastal towns, where the catch of the day is used. It is typically a lunch or dinner dish, served with bread to mop up the sauce.
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08Tabouna bread
Tabouna bread is an artisanal Tunisian bread baked against the inner walls of a traditional terracotta oven, which is itself called a *tabouna*.
Travel tip Tabouna bread is baked fresh in traditional clay ovens, and you can smell it in local bakeries in the morning. Buy it warm and eat it plain, with olive oil, or alongside a meal.
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09Tagine malsouka
Tagine malsouka (Tunisian Arabic: ملسوقة), or malsouqa, is a Tunisian dish composed of sheets of malsouka dough, stuffed with a savory filling.
Travel tip Tunisian tagine is a baked, firm dish closer to a savory pie or quiche than a Moroccan stew. It is often served at family meals and during Ramadan, and is eaten cut into squares.
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10Blunkett salad
Blunkett salad (Arabic: سلطة بلانكيت) is a Tunisian salad that typically consists of bread, harissa, eggs and tuna. Blunkett salad is a staple in Tunisian cuisine, often served during family gatherings or as part of a mezze platter.
Travel tip Look for this salad in casual eateries and snack counters, where it is made from simple everyday ingredients. It is eaten with a fork or spoon as a light lunch or a shared appetizer.
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