What is Tunisian food like? Bold, spicy and full of olive oil. Tunisia is one of the world’s biggest olive oil producers, and its cooking is built around it, along with harissa, the fiery red chili paste whose traditions UNESCO listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022. Couscous is the national dish, shared with Tunisia’s neighbors on UNESCO’s list since 2020. Try brik, a crisp pastry with a runny egg, lablabi chickpea soup for breakfast, ojja with merguez, grilled fish on the coast and doughnuts in Sidi Bou Said. This guide covers the dishes to try, street food, sweets, drinks and tips.
Planning a trip? See our complete Tunisia travel guide and our guide to things to do in Tunis.
Tunisian food at a glance
| Staples | Olive oil, semolina, bread, chickpeas, tomatoes, peppers, fish and lamb |
|---|---|
| Signature flavor | Harissa, plus caraway, coriander, cumin and garlic |
| National dish | Couscous |
| UNESCO | Couscous (2020, shared with Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco) and harissa (2022) |
| Spice level | Often spicy; ask for “bla harissa” (without harissa) if you prefer |
| Drinks | Mint tea with pine nuts, strong coffee, fresh juices and local wine |
Tunisian dishes to try
The Tunisian dishes to try first are couscous, brik, ojja and the spicy stews of the coast and countryside.
- Couscous: steamed semolina with a spicy, tomato-red sauce, served with lamb, chicken, fish or vegetables. On the coast, fish couscous is a specialty.
- Brik: a thin, crisp pastry folded around an egg, often with tuna, parsley and capers. Eat it with your hands so the yolk doesn’t escape.
- Ojja: eggs cooked in a spicy tomato and pepper sauce, often with merguez sausages or seafood.
- Tajine tunisien: not a stew but a baked egg dish, like a frittata, with meat, cheese and parsley.
- Salade mechouia: grilled peppers, tomatoes and onions mashed with olive oil, garlic and caraway, topped with tuna and egg.
- Mloukhia: a dark, slow-cooked stew of ground jute leaves and beef.
- Kamounia: a cumin-spiced stew of beef or liver.
- Chorba frik: a soup of cracked green wheat, tomato and lamb, a Ramadan favorite.
Street food and breakfast
The best Tunisian street food is lablabi, fricassé and kafteji, sold from small cafés and stalls.
- Lablabi: a chickpea soup poured over torn bread, with cumin, harissa, olive oil and sometimes an egg. The classic breakfast of workers and students.
- Fricassé: small fried bread rolls filled with tuna, potato, olives, egg and harissa.
- Kafteji: fried vegetables and egg chopped together with spices, often in a sandwich.
- Mlewi and makloub: flatbread or folded pizza-style wraps filled with meat, cheese and salad.
- Bambalouni: sugary fried doughnuts, eaten warm in Sidi Bou Said.
Seafood on the coast
With more than 1,000 km of coastline, Tunisia is a great place for seafood. In La Goulette, Sousse, Mahdia, Monastir and Djerba, choose your fish at the counter and have it grilled with lemon and olive oil, or try octopus, squid and prawns. Fish couscous is a specialty of the coastal towns.
Sweets and pastries
Tunisian sweets are rich with dates, almonds, sesame and honey.
- Makroudh: semolina pastries filled with dates and soaked in honey, a specialty of Kairouan.
- Baklawa and kaak warka, delicate almond pastries for weddings and holidays.
- Zrir: a rich paste of sesame, nuts and honey.
- Deglet Nour dates: the honey-colored dates of Tozeur and the Djerid oases.
- Assida: a sweet pudding of semolina or pine nuts, made to celebrate the Prophet’s birthday.
Drinks
Tunisians drink sweet mint tea with pine nuts and strong coffee throughout the day.
- Mint tea with pine nuts: green tea served very sweet, with pine nuts floating on top.
- Coffee: espresso-style “express” or “capucin” with a dash of milk, drunk at cafés all day.
- Fresh juices: orange, lemon and strawberry, depending on the season.
- Wine and boukha: Tunisia produces wine, especially on Cap Bon, and boukha, a fig spirit. Alcohol is sold in hotels, some restaurants and shops.
Tips for eating in Tunisia
- Bread comes with every meal, and is used to mop up sauces and olive oil.
- Ask about spice: harissa is everywhere; say “bla harissa” for a milder dish.
- Eat where locals eat: small restaurants near markets serve the freshest daily dishes at lunchtime.
- During Ramadan, many cafés close in the daytime and open at sunset for iftar.
- Carry cash for street food and small restaurants.
Travel with a local guide
Simsem’s Tunisia host, Mohamed Ben Naceur, knows the best places to eat in Sousse and Monastir:
Sousse Medina Walking Tour
A walk with Mohamed through the UNESCO-listed medina of Sousse, its souks, the Ribat and the Great Mosque.
Monastir: History, Medina and Coastal Walk
The Ribat of Monastir, the Bourguiba Mausoleum, the medina and the seafront with a local guide.
Dar Am Taieb and Leather Painting Workshop
A visit to a private art museum in an old Sousse house and a hands-on leather painting workshop.
See all Tunisia experiences on Simsem.
FAQ
What is the national dish of Tunisia?
Couscous, usually served with a spicy red sauce, vegetables and lamb, chicken or fish.
Is Tunisian food spicy?
Often, yes, thanks to harissa. You can ask for dishes without harissa if you prefer milder food.
What is brik?
A thin, crisp pastry filled with an egg and often tuna, parsley and capers, fried until golden.
What do Tunisians eat for breakfast?
Lablabi chickpea soup, bread with olive oil, fricassé rolls or pastries with coffee.
Is harissa on UNESCO’s list?
Yes. UNESCO inscribed the knowledge, skills and practices around harissa as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022.
Can you drink alcohol in Tunisia?
Yes. Wine, beer and boukha are sold in hotels, some restaurants and licensed shops. Drink discreetly, especially during Ramadan.
Sources
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage — Harissa
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage — Couscous
- Wikipedia — Tunisian cuisine
- Wikimedia Commons — photographs credited in each caption
