Cuisine & drink
Tunisian food has
been influenced by the influx of different inhabitants
over the years. It remains essentially a mixture
of Mediterranean (French,
Spanish & Italian) and traditional Tunisian recipes,
although the Jewish community contributed enormously
to enriching Tunisian gastronomy as well. International
cuisine is also freely available in Tunisia.
Tunisian cuisine is
based on the use of olive oil and spices with the
appropriate quantities of ingredients blended together.
All recipes use natural products and simple ingredients
of a high quality. These simple ingredients are used
to make refined dishes. Frozen foods are shunned
and the emphasis is on fresh, wholesome ingredients.
In restaurants customers
will always be served fresh bread, olives and harissa,
which is a hot chilli dip, made of crushed, dried
red peppers, garlic and spices. This is also the
main stay of many Tunisian dishes.
Tunisian Starters
A variety of starters are available
in Tunisia and amongst
other food, fresh seafood is always readily available.
It is prepared in different ways – grilled,
fried or served with a sauce.
Typical starters include ‘brik à l’oeuf’,
which is a lightly cooked egg wrapped in an envelope
of filo pastry, sometimes with an extra ingredient
such as prawns or tuna. Tradition dictates that it
can only be eaten with the hands – the challenge
is to eat it without getting egg on your face! ‘Mechouia’ is
another favoured starter, which includes diced onions,
red peppers and tomatoes mixed with olive oil, garnished
with tuna and hard-boiled eggs and served as a salad. ‘Chorba’ is
a delicious thick and creamy soup made with tomatoes,
onions and grains of pasta.
National Dish
Couscous is the national dish
and is served with vegetables, lamb, poultry or fish.
The couscous is steamed and served covered in a sauce.
The ingredients of the sauce give each type of couscous
its own unique taste.
‘Agneau à la
gargoulette’ is another traditional dish and
is a delicious lamb stew slowly cooked in an earthenware
jar over a charcoal fire. Grilled fish is also favoured
due to the great abundance of fresh fish available
on a daily basis.
Deserts are often
fresh fruit or sweet pastries and custards. ‘Baklava’ is
a popular honeyed pastry.
There are also a number
of regional specialities, such as fish soup ‘à la
sfaxienne’ or rice ‘à la djerbienne’.
Wine
The culture of wine making in
Tunisia dates back to Carthaginian and Roman times
and has developed over the centuries. Magon, the
Carthaginian agronomist was the first person to detail
viticulture practices, and the ancient mosaics and
wall murials demonstrate the importance of wine and
wine cultivation during this period.
Nowadays, Tunisia
produces between 300 – 350,000 hectolitres
of wine per year. Approximately 70% of this is classified
as Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC),
20% of these wines are classed as premier Cru wines.
Tunisian wine is widely exported throughout the world.
There are roughly 20 wineries in the country but three
quarters of these still belong to the UCCV, which is
the Government co-operative.
Popular red wines
are Vieux Magon, Chateau St Augustin and Sélian,
while popular whites include Chateau St Augustin
and Ugni Blanc. Rosé wines, such as Cote ux
de Carthage and Chateau
Mornag are also popular.
Liqueurs
There are two traditional liqueurs in Tunisia: Thibourine
and Boukha. Thibourine is made from dates and Boukha
is a fig brandy.
Beer
Celtia is the refreshingly light local beer. International
beers are also available in Tunisia.
Mint Tea
The traditional drink of Tunisia, served with fresh
mint leaves and pine nuts in some regions.
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