This Tunisia Restaurant Guide gives you an idea of what the traditional cuisine of Tunisia is like, as well as what you are likely to encounter in Tunisia restaurants. You could also check out what the dining scene is like in Hammamet. Don't forget to have a look at our Tunisia Shopping Guide too, for great ideas on gifts, souvenirs and shopping options in Tunisia.

Food & Cuisine in Tunisia

Fresh and nutritious ingredients are the hallmark of every Tunisian dish. Almost every recipe requires natural products of high quality. All the traditional dishes are a fine blend of fresh ingredients cooked in olive oil and enhanced with the use of appropriate spices. Restaurants in Tunisia are also known for their fresh offerings. Almost all restaurant meals include fresh bread, harissa and olives. Frozen food is not popular in Tunisia.

Tunisian food is spicy and hot in comparison to the other cuisines of North Africa. It food bears strong Mediterranean influences.

Some Starters

There is no shortage of mouth watering starters in Tunisian cuisine. Fish cooked in many different ways and served with sauce is the most readily available starter. Brik à l'oeuf is a type of starter where filo pastries are stuffed with lightly cooked egg and sometimes, with tuna fish and prawns as well. Mechouia is another type of starter that is like a salad and includes tomatoes, red peppers and onion slices held together by olive oil and garnished with hard-boiled eggs and tuna. Another popular starter is the chorba, which is an appetizing creamy soup made with pasta grains, tomatoes and onions.

National Dish

Couscous is the national dish of Tunisia. It usually includes steamed lamb, poultry, vegetables or fish, covered by a rich sauce. The unique ingredients used by Tunisians to cook the dish give it a distinct flavour. Another popular traditional dish of Tunisia is the agneau à la gargoulette, which is a lamb stew cooked over a charcoal fire in a clay vessel. Fresh fish is available abundantly and grilled fish is very popular. A favourite pastry of Tunisians is the sweet baklava. Tunisian desserts are usually custards, fresh fruits and sweet pastries.

Some of the regional specialties are a rice dish called à la djerbienne and a fish soup called à la sfaxienne.

Tagines

Tagines are Tunisian stews and they are of many kinds. The stews include all kind of ingredients, from beans, spinach, onions and prunes to tomato sauce, honey, eggs, chicken and beef. A few of the stews worth a taste are tagine maadnus, tagine j'bin and tagine ez zitoun, among many others.

Other local specialities that you should try are bouza, yo-yo, chakchouka, torshi, felfel mahchi, merguez, guenaoia, samsa, harissa, salata batata, koucha, mhalbya, makroud and lalabli.

Local Drinks

Wine making has been practised in Tunisia since the time of the Carthaginians and the Romans. The practice has been developed into a fine art now. More than 300,000 hectolitres of wine are produced by Tunisia every year and Tunisian wine is exported to all corners of the world. About 70% of the wine is certified as Appellation d'origine contrôlée and 20% as premier Cru wines. The government owns 15 of the 20 breweries operating in Tunisia.

Some of the most popular Tunisian red wines are Sélian, Chateau St. Augustine and Vieux Magon, the well known white wines are Ugni Blanc and Chateau St. Augustine while Cote ux de Carthage and Chateau Mornag are the popular rose wines. Celtia is a light and refreshing local beer. International beers are easily available too.

The traditional drink of Tunisia is tea served with fresh mint leaves. Tea is also served with pine nuts in some regions.