traditional foods

Traditional

foods

summary

IntroductionLablabi Bambalouni Fricase couscous Harisa Charmoula Asidat zgougou Bezin Jwajem

Introduction

Most of the plates are based on seafood and lamb, with plenty of olive oiland spices thrown in for good measure.

In some ways,food is something of a tourist trap in countries. Visiting any region often prompts questions about the local cuisine - with each and every location having its own traditional dishes that usually get mouths watering.Suffice to say, Tunisia isn't different at all. while it might be known for its history, culture and exoctic temperatures, few people realize that it also has plent of dishes that can entice you to return.

Lablebi

Lablabi is a thick soup or stew made of chick peas and flavoured mostly with cumin and garlic. It is served over small pieces of stale crusty bread, which is recommended to be 2 days old. A soft egg is also added to the soup, along with olive oil, harissa, capers, tuna, olives, lemon juice, garlic and additional cumin."

The preparation was very interesting. You get an empty bowl (clay pot) and a piece of hard bread (2 days old). So first you need to cut the bread into small pieces with your hands and fill the bowl with them. You then hand over this to the cook who will add all the rest of the ingredients and give it back to you. You finally mix everything up using two spoons and that’s it, you get your stew ready to eat.

Bambalouni

Bambalouni

.Bambalouni is Sweet, very sweet. The Tunisian version of American doughnuts. It is a round-shaped flour dough fried in oil and sprinkled with sugar or honey. They are delicious I must say, but you need to be prepared for a sugar boost.

It is highly recommended to eat them hot. So they will prepare it for you on demand, and then goes from the frying pot to your hand, with a quick sugar-loading stop.

How prepare Bambalouni?

Fricassé

This is one of Tunisian’s favourite street food, and it was probably mine as well. It is a savoury fried doughnut filled with tuna, boiled egg, olives, harissa, and boiled potato

Fricassé

There is an open area in La Marsa where we got both the Bambalouni and Fricassé, and also homemade potato crisps. It is next to the main mosque in the area.

Couscous

couscous

There are endless different ways to prepare it, and it can vary in different areas of the country. It is normally served in a deep plate with a piece of meat or fish and some vegetables on top. Preferred meats include lamb or chicken, and fish can vary between red snapper, grouper, sea bass and swordfish. Favoured vegetables include peppers, carrots, pumpkin and potatoes

Locals seem to agree that Couscous is originally from Morocco. However; its origin is uncertain, and it is considered traditional throughout the North African cuisines of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania and Libya.

Harissa

It is a spicy paste made with chilli peppers and garlic, which is often served as a condiment (for meat, fish or salad) or dip. I’ve had it a few times and it is not as hot as it seems. Most places serve it with bread and olive oil as a snack, being altogether a very tasty combination.

Harissa is a traditional Tunisian product, and quite appropriate for a gift/souvenir. You can get it everywhere, from supermarkets to gift shops, and also at the airport. Moreover, Harissa is getting trendy in different parts of World. You can easily find dishes and meals with it in the UK (for instance, M&S offers fish and meat with this paste). Last week we had poached eggs for brunch and it also came with Harissa, another great combination

Harissa

charmoula

here are different regional recipes. The famous, that of Sfax, consists of mashed raisins and onions cooked in olive oil along with spices. The charmoula accompanied by salted fish is a specific dish in the Sfax region, which is eaten on the first day of Eid al-Fitr in breakfast.

The preparation of the charmoula and fish that accompanies usually done during the last week of Ramadan. His cooking requires a lot of efforts to homogenize all ingredients, can sometimes take a two days. The fish should be salted in advance for at least 4-5 days.This tradition typically Sfaxian is always perpetrated in the region. You can eat this specialty with any fish: grouper, bream or even the wolf, but the sfaxiennes families likes the cod called in Tunisia bakalaw of Norway

Assida zgougou

sometimes spelled asida bi zgougou, A dessert typically Tunisian based of Aleppo pine seeds

Assidat zgougou is not a sfaxien exclusivity, it is also a very popular cream all over Tunisia, prepared during the moulid, a feast that commemorates the birth of the Prophet of Islam (Mohamed)

The bezine

The Bezine: is a culinary specialty of the region of Sfax. It is consumed on the day of Eid el Adha or during the month of Ramadhan. It is a kind of cream is eaten early in the morning, as a breakfast, accompanied by the famous "Kleya of Sfax " and the honey

Bezine

The Kleya also prepared in advance, it is small pieces of mutton, liver, heart and kidneys, all associated with salt and pepper and cooked into olive oil and a little fat tail sheep

Jawejem

"The jwejem: is a dessert designed by Hamadi Hachicha and became famous in Sfax mainly composed of yaaourt and dried fruits "

created by: Chabchoub Emna