Tunisian cuisine

Tunisian cuisine, thecuisineofTunisia, consists of the cooking traditions, ingredients, recipes and techniques developed in Tunisia since  antiquity. It is mainly a blend ofArab,Mediterranean,Punic, andBerber cuisine.Historically, Tunisian cuisine witnessed influence and exchanges with many cultures and nations likeItalians,Andalusians,FrenchandArabs.
Like many countries in the Mediterranean basin, the Tunisian cuisine is heavily based onolive oil, spices,tomatoes, seafood and meat. Yet, it has a distinctive spiciness that differs it from surrounding cuisines.
Tunisian cuisine developed fromBerbers, ancient Carthage, Rome, the Islamic conquest of theMaghreb, and theOttoman Empire. The Tunisian cuisine has also been strongly influenced by Italian (especiallySicilian).
During its era ofFrench colonial ruleTunisia marketed its difference tometropolitan Francemeaning it played on French perceptions of "difference" (Orientalism) to sell the produce of the colonies to France. The majority of restaurants that catered to international visitors did not serve authentic colonial cuisine. Exoticness and difference were emphasized instead insouksand eateries. The European settlers who traveled to and from France shared their food experiences with the metropolitan French, but authentic Tunisian cuisine did not become integrated into the popularcuisine colonialecategory ofFrench cuisine.
Unlike other North African cuisines, Tunisian food is quite spicy. A popular condiment and ingredient which is used extensively in Tunisian cooking,harissa, is a mix of groundchili peppers, garlic, andcarawayor spices commonly sold together as a paste. It is usually the most important ingredient in different sauces and gravies. Westernised harissa mostly contains red chilies to replaceblack cumin, which is different from standard cumin. Other common spices includecuminor cumin seeds,garlic,carawayseeds,corianderseeds andpaprika. A recipe for the sauce includes red chili peppers and garlic, flavored with coriander, cumin,olive oiland oftentomatoes.
Likeharissaor chili peppers, tomato paste is also an ingredient integral to the cuisine of Tunisia.Tuna,eggs,olivesand various varieties ofpasta,cereals, herbs and spices are also ingredients which are prominently used in Tunisian cooking.
Potatoes were introduced by European settlers in the early 20th century and have become a common ingredient in traditional salads, sauces and couscous. By 1990 one of the most common homemade foods with potatoes wasFrench fries.
Tunisian culinary ingredients include the following typical elements:
Tunisians also produce grapes, wheat, barley and orchard fruits. Once fermented they become wines, as in Chateau Mornag which is a stapleTunisian wine, beers (Celtia, Berber or the Stella brand—now owned by Heineken of the Netherlands), brandy (Boukha—figliqueur, Thibarine—herbal date liqueur, or other liqueurs made frompomegranates, dates,lotos(jujube),carobsorprickly pearsand apple ciders. Scented waters with dark rose or blossom petals, similar toaguas frescaswith flowers, have been called "scents from heaven".
Tabil, pronounced "tebel," is a word inTunisian Arabicmeaning "seasoning" (similar toadoboin Spanish) and now refers to a particular Tunisian spice mix, although earlier it only meant ground coriander.Paula Wolfertmakes the plausible claim thattabilis one of the spice mixes brought to Tunisia by Muslims coming fromAndalusiain 1492 after the fall ofGranada. Today,tabil, closely associated with the cooking of Tunisia, features garlic, cayenne pepper, caraway seeds and coriander pounded in a mortar, then dried in the sun. It is often used in cooking beef, veal and game. Organs are traditionally staples of Tunisian cooking, such as tripe, lamb brains, beef liver and fish heads.
Due to the long coastline and numerous fishing ports, seafood has a prominent place in Tunisian cuisine. Fish can also be grilled, baked, fried, or stuffed and seasoned withcumin(kamoun).Squid,cuttlefishandoctopusare served in hot crispy batter with slices of lemon, in a cooked salad, or stuffed and served with couscous.
Snails have been eaten in Tunisia since prehistoric times, as excavated mounds of shells, mixed with stone tools and artifacts from theCaspian civilizationin the region ofGafsahave proven.Today, snails are still enjoyed in several regions, such as Hammamet, the central coast (Sahel) and Kairouan, but shunned in others.
Tunisia has different regional aspects. Tunisian cuisine varies from north to south, from the coast to theAtlas Mountains, from urban areas to the countryside, and along religious affiliations.
For instance, the original inhabitants of Tunis (the Beldiya), do not useharissamuch; they prefer milder food, and have also developed their own breads and desserts.
Closer to the Atlas mountain range, game is favoured. A diet may be composed ofquail, pigeons,squabs,partridge, rabbits and hare. In the Cap Bon, people enjoy tuna, anchovies, sardines, sea bass and mackerels. On the island ofDjerba, where there is a denseJewishpresence,kosherfood is consumed.
Despite the strong presence of fast food and restaurants inSfax, people from the city enjoy their traditional dishes more than anything else. Sfaxians tend to add their own touch to the Tunisian cuisine. They have staple regional dishes such asmarkawhich is a fish soup to which Sfaxians usually add vermicelli or couscous. The soup can also be eaten with barley bread or croutons.Charmoulais a dish made of baked raisins, onions and spices, traditionally eaten with salted fish on the first day ofEid al-Fitr. Sfax is also famed for its pastries. There are two kinds of Sfaxian pastries: daily pastry (locally calledhlou Arbi) likemakrouth,doria, andghraiba, and high-range pastry for weddings and special ceremonies (likebaklawa,mlabbesandka'ak warka').
The region ofGabesis famous for usinghrousseasoning instead ofharissa(hrous Gabsi is a paste whose main ingredients are 50% salt pickled onions, 50% dried red chili, unlike harissa which does not contain onions).
InDjerba, kosher cuisine is available as well as a myriad of restaurantsoffering a wide range of regional dishes likerouz djerbiand mainly seafood-based meals.
Couscous, calledkosksi, is the national dish of Tunisia, and can be prepared in many ways. It is cooked in a special kind of double boiler called akiska:sin Arabic orcouscoussièrein French. The couscous used is typically fine-grained. Called kosksi in the Tunisian dialect, it is a tiny granule made from steamed and dried durum wheat. It is the most popular national dish. Couscous is a dish for all events. It is frequently served in an enormous traditional bowl with bits of meat and vegetables. It is served mostly on festive occasions and large gatherings, from weddings to funerals.
Meats, vegetables and spices are cooked in the lower pot. Cooking steam rises through vents into the container above. It is layered with whole herbs such as bay leaves and covered with a fine-grain couscous. The couscous pasta is therefore cooked with aromatic steam. During the cooking process, the couscous needs to be regularly stirred with a fork to prevent lumping, much asrisottois cooked.
The wordcouscous(alternatelycuscusorkuskus) was first noted in early 17th century French, from Arabic kuskus, from kaskasa 'to pound', and is probably ofBerberorigin.The exact formation of the word presents some obscurities.The Berber root *KS means "well formed, well rolled, rounded".Numerous names and pronunciations for couscous exist around the world.
Couscous has been recognized on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018. This new designation by UNESCO is due to the worth of couscous and the tradition, practices, and ability that encompass it.
Preferred meats include lamb (kosksi bil ghalmi) or chicken (kosksi bil djaj), but regional substitutes include red snapper, grouper (kousksi bil mannani), sea bass (kosksi bil marqua), hare (kosksi bil arnab) or quail (kosksi bil hjall).
Tunisians also love a salted form of bacon made with mutton meat in their dishes(kosksi bil qadid)
Pork consumption is forbidden to Muslims in Tunisia, in accordance withIslamic dietary laws.
Tunisiantajinesortajinerefers to a kind ofquiche, without a crust, made with beaten eggs, grated cheese, meat and various vegetable fillings, and baked like a large cake. The Tunisiantagineis very different from the Algerian or Moroccan dish but similar to the Italianfrittataor the Egyptianeggah.
A popular seafood specialty ispoisson completor the whole fish. The entire fish, excluding internal organs, is prepared and fire-grilled, but it can also be fried, grilled or sautéed. It is accompanied with potato chips and either mild or spicytastira, made by frying green peppers, tomatoes, onion and a little garlic, all of which is finely chopped and served with an egg poached or sunny side up. Finely chopped fresh parsley is sprinkled on top; a drizzle of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt complete the recipe.
Tunisian sauces, which are closer to spicy broths, are an integral part of dishes. Otherwise olive oils are often used as sauces.
Harissaorhrissais often said to be a Tunisian sauce, but it is better described as an ingredient of Tunisian cooking or a seasoning.Harissais made of red chili, garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, olive oil, and sometimes also caraway or mint.
Kerkennaiseandmloukhiaare other frequently used sauces.Kerkennaiseis made of capers, olive oil, tomato, scallions, coriander, caraway, cumin, parsley, garlic, white vinegar and paprika.Mloukhiais a dark green sauce served with shredded lamb or beef.