The Best of the Tunisian Street Food
Discover the must-try dishes of Tunisian street food! Traditional Tunisian dishes, rich in flavor, that you simply must try!
Couscous, the staple of Tunisian cuisine
Couscous is one of the best-known dishes in Tunisian cuisine. Made from wheat semolina, it is served with vegetables in a sauce that varies according to the season (squash, zucchini, onions, potatoes, carrots, etc.) and with meat or fish. This hearty and delicious dish can also be served with chickpeas.
Tunisian Salads
Salad mechouia
Salad mechouia gets its name from the fact that it’s a “fried” salad. Made from vegetables fried in oil, this very tasty salad is usually very spicy and eaten as a starter with bread. 🌶🌶(🌶)
Tounsia salad
Composed of cucumber, tomatoes and onions cut into small pieces and accompanied by a drizzle of olive oil, this is the typical refreshing summer starter. The basic recipe can be varied and some add an egg and/or tuna.
Chakchouka
This is a tomato sauce-based dish in which garlic and onions are sautéed. Eggs, peppers and potatoes are cooked right in the sauce. It can be accompanied by aromatic herbs for a more subtle taste.
Brick the flagship dish of Tunisian street food
This is street food par excellence! They’re stuffed with chopped onion, mashed potatoes, tuna, capers and parsley, and eaten hot with lemon for extra flavor!
Ojja
Dishes in sauce with onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, eggs and merguez. This dish is usually seasoned with spices (caraway) and harissa*.🌶
Mloukhia
This is one of the most unusual dishes in existence. It’s a dish made with a thick green herbal sauce, flavored with bay leaves and topped with lamb meat. Don’t be put off by its unappetizing visual appearance, for this dish is truly a delight. It is eaten with bread to “mop up the sauce”.
Sandwiches and galettes garnies, the essentials of Tunisian street food
Malfouf
This is a patty topped with an omelet, onions, tuna or chicken and cheese, and harissa*. It’s one of the timeless staples of Tunisian street food. Eat it on the go! 🌶
Casse-Croûte
Similar to the French sandwich, this is made with tuna, diced cucumbers, tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs. However, it’s served with a spicy sauce, the famous harissa*, for a spicier sandwich!🌶(🌶)
Fricassé
Fricassé is a salted fried doughnut. It is stuffed with mashed potatoes, harissa, tuna, olives and a hard-boiled egg. This traditional “on-the-go” dish will delight travelers’ taste buds.🌶
Chorba
A hearty, spicy soup. It’s made with tomatoes, onions, celery, spices and harissa*, with beef or chicken and small pasta shapes known as bird’s tongues. Serve with lemon juice and fresh parsley for a full-flavored dish. 🌶
Lablabi
Lablabi is made with chickpeas, eggs and bread toasted with olive oil and garlic. To finish this dish, fresh parsley is used again and again for its simple, veggie version. It can also be served with tuna, capers, olives and harissa*.🌶
Kafteji Tounsi
This dish is a mix of vegetables: potatoes, tomatoes, green peppers, pumpkin or zucchini, diced and fried. It is then seasoned with harissa* and completed with parsley and onion. It is served with grilled liver or merguez and/or a fried egg.🌶(🌶)
Tunisian tagine
Like the well-known Moroccan tagine, the Tunisian tagine is quite different! More akin to a Spanish tortilla, it’s an omelette topped with potatoes and onions, tuna (or meat) and, for those with a taste for Gruyère cheese, a real treat!
Nwasser with lamb
This dish consists of couscous-cooked pasta with tomato sauce, harissa*, onions, potatoes and lamb. It is also accompanied by the vegetables found in couscous, in various variations (carrots; turnips; pumpkins, zucchini, etc.).🌶
Djerbian rice
A look-alike of nwasser, except that the base is rice rather than pasta. It therefore contains roughly the same vegetables as nwasser. However, this dish is seasoned with various spices and green vegetables (spinach and/or chard);🌶
Harissa:* When you think of Tunisia, you think of Harissa! Harissa is a chili concentrate that can be found in a variety of dishes (chorba, lablabi, fricassé…) depending on taste;
To discover typical Tunisian fruits, desserts and drinks, click here! If this reading has inspired you to discover this splendid country, then take a look at my article on must-sees in Tunisia!
