I would say that discovering new foods is one of the best parts of traveling. I asked Tunisian locals, what are the 10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia. I have gathered 10 dishes for your next trip. These are must-try foods, according to the Tunisian locals. From the list, you will find lighter options and also heavier meals. I also added one sweet pastry at the end.
This is a small Tunisian food guide, to discover 10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia. Soon, I will be writing a second guide, where I introduce more Tunisian homemade foods. Meanwhile, read this through and remember to check also the food guides about Tunisian drinks and sweets.
10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia
- Slata Mechouai – Grilled pepper salad
- Keftaji – Tunisian grilled vegetables
- Tunisian Brik
- Mlawi- Tunisian flatbread
- Merguez- sausage dish
- Fried chicken and fries
- Makloub – sandwich
- Drinkable egg
- Fricasse – sandwich
- Bambalouni – donut
1. Slata Mechouia - 10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia
Tunisian grilled pepper salad, Slata Mechouia is definitely a must-try on your trip. It also happens to be one of my favorite dishes in Tunisia. This dish is a very traditional and popular in Tunisia. It’s widely served in restaurants, and fast-food restaurants but it’s also a common dish to make at home. This grilled pepper salad is lightful but also hot and spicy!
Slata Mechouia is made of green peppers, tomato, and garlic that are grilled over an open flame. Then the grilled vegetables are peeled and shredded into small pieces with a knife or a mortal. The shredded salad is seasoned with salt and pepper and with a generous amount of olive oil. The salad can be garnished with a hard-boiled egg, tuna, and olives. Scoop a good amount of Slata Mechouai with a piece of fresh bread. Delicious!
A food type: an accompaniment to a meal, a lighter option
Why to eat: The best salad in Tunisia
Where to eat: restaurants, fast-food restaurants, Tunisian homes
Tip: Good to eat during hot summer days. When you are not craving anything too heavy.
2. Keftaji – 10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia
Keftaji is a popular street food dish in Tunisia but also a common everyday food at Tunisian homes. The traditional Keftaji is made of various vegetables: butternut squash, potato, green pepper, and tomato. The vegetables are fried separately and smashed together with fried eggs. The smashed mixture is seasoned with harissa, olive oil, caraway, and salt.
Normally, the Keftaji is served on the plate, and the fries and bread are on the side. The other way is to fill up a sandwich or baguette with keftaji and fries. At home, the keftaji is often served with grilled fish, liver, chicken, or merguez-sausages.
A food type: fast-food, heavy meal, lunch or dinner
Why to eat: The best fast-food dish in Tunisia
Where to eat: In Tunisia, you will find small fast-food restaurants that sell only Keftaji.
3. Tunisian Brik – 10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia
I guess one of the most popular dishes in Tunisia is a Brik. At least, when somebody has visited Tunisia, this is the dish they often mention. Brik is a savory dish that is made of malsouka-sheets that are similar to filo-dough. The malsouka sheet is filled up with a savory filling, wrapped and deep-fried in oil. The hot and crispy Brik with delicious filling is served immediately. Brik can be filled with tuna, potato, onion, parsley, cheese, and ricotta. One of the popular ways to serve Brik is to crack an egg inside. The Brik is fried in a way that the egg yolk stays runny. Yummy yummy!
A food type: fast-food, light meal, side dish
Why to eat: The most popular dish in Tunisia
Where to eat: All the traditional Tunisian restaurants sell Briks
Tip: This Tunisian delicacy is popular among both adults and children.
4. Mlawi- 10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia
Mlawi is a Tunisian flatbread made of semolina, salt, and water. The mlawi dough is kneaded for a long time that creates a strong viscosity. The prepared dough is divided into pieces. The dough pieces are spread over the table thinly with a help of olive oil, then folded and fried on the hot pan. The freshly made mlawi is soft and mouthwateringly delicious. To prepare this bread at home requires a couple of failed attempts.
In Tunisia, this bread is sold in many small restaurants. You can buy it like that use it as bread at home, or another delicious way is to buy a mlawi sandwich. The mlawi can be filled for example with slata mechouia, happy cow cheese, donkey salami, boiled egg, olives, onion, tomato, tuna, and harissa. A warm mlawi with a delicious filling makes a perfect snack. Enjoy it with a refreshing soft drink.
A food type: bread, filled mlawi makes a perfect snack or lunch
Why to eat: The must-try bread in Tunisia
Where to eat: street-food restaurants
Tip: If you are hungry, you can order the mlawi sandwich with a double or triple mlawi when it comes heavier.
5. Merguez- 10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia
Merguez is a specialty in North-African countries. Merguez is a spicy sausage made of mutton and several different spices: homemade harissa, fennel, paprika, garlic, coriander, mint, and caraway. I must say that the mutton is particularly delicious in Tunisia, and that makes Tunisian merguez so tasty. You can try merguez in a small street-food restaurant. You will tell how many grams of merguez you want, and it will be grilled for you. Usually, the merguez is served with chopped red onion and parsley. Order a plate of slata mechouia and maybe some grilled liver also. The dish is eaten with a fresh baguette.
A food type: snack, lunch
Why to eat: Possibly the best sausage you have ever tried
Where to eat: buy from the butcher and grill at home or try at the street-food restaurant
6. Roasted chicken and fries - 10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia
Roasted chicken and fries are a classic combination. When strolling around Tunisian streets, you will see chicken rotisserie machines in front of some restaurants. You can order whole, half, or quarter of the chicken. Usually, the roasted chicken is served with fries, slate mechouia, mayo, and fresh salad.
Of course, this is not traditional Tunisian food rather a very international dish. It’s a good option if you want to eat something more familiar. And indeed, it makes a great lunch or dinner. Plus, who doesn’t like roasted chicken and fries?
A food type: lunch, dinner
Why to eat: If you want something a little bit familiar in between discovering the Tunisian cuisine
Where to eat: Choose the restaurant with a chicken rotisserie machine
7. Makloub sandwich- 10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia
In Tunisia, you will quickly notice, that the different kinds of sandwiches are popular street food. You will find sandwiches like Mlawi, Chapati, Keftaji, Fricasse, and baguette Farci. One of the sandwiches you should try is a Makloub. Makloub is made of a pizza kind of dough that is filled and then baked. Usually, it can be filled with tuna, chicken, or beef. Then added a lot of cheese, harissa, tomatoes, salad, and onion. It’s quite a heavy sandwich that will keep you satisfied for a long time. Enjoy it with a plate of fries and a refreshing soft drink.
A food type: fast food, sandwich, lunch
Why to eat: A popular street food in Tunisia
Where to eat: street-food restaurants
8. Tunisian drinkable egg- 10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia
This is something very special: a drinkable egg. The drinkable eggs are sold on the streets. Often a seller has a small food cart where he sells sandwiches and these special eggs. The top of the egg is cut off, and some salt and pepper have sprinkled on the top, and then you drink the egg. The egg has been cooked only a bit when it’s not raw but still very runny.
These are very popular among Tunisian men. They buy a sandwich and a couple of eggs to drink. I have tried this kind of egg once. The taste wasn’t bad but let’s say that I haven’t been craving those afterward. But you should try it, just for fun.
A food type: an accompaniment to a meal, side dish
Why to eat: If you are looking for something special to try
Where to eat: you need to find a street vendor
9. Fricasse sandwich - 10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia
Fricasse sandwich is one of the most popular street foods in Tunisia. A doughnut kind of pastry is deep-fried and filled with a savory filling. The traditional filling contains tuna, potato, harissa, egg, olives, and mayo. This little greasy treat is super delicious, very affordable, and it is a must-try on your trip! Unfortunately, this dish is everything else but not healthy. But I promise you that it’s worth the try. If you are not in Tunisia right now. I am happy to tell you that this dish is also easy to make at home.
A food type: sandwich, snack, lunch
Why to eat: A savory “doughnut” is a must-try in Tunisia
Where to eat: Find a street vendor or fast-food restaurant
10. Bambalouni- 10 traditional foods you need to eat in Tunisia
I had to add one sweet thing to this list, and it’s a Bambalouni. Bambalouni is a big, and sweet Tunisian doughnut. There are two versions typically available one coated with sugar and another with melted chocolate. On my first trip to Tunisian, I ate Bambalouni when discovering the beautiful Sidi Bou Said. I bought one doughnut from a street vendor. Bambalouni sellers can be found also from La Goulette, Tunis.
A food type: sweet treat, snack
Why to eat: A traditional sweet pastry from Sidi Bou Said
Where to eat: Bambalouni sellers can be found in Sidi Bou Said and La Goulette
Hopefully, you find this small guide helpful on your trip. Which foods you have tried on this list? And what’s your favorite Tunisian food?
We just returned from a cruise, and we stopped for one day at LA Goulette. We ate at a restaurant near our ship. The food was superb.