Tunisia is known for its delicious cuisine full of interesting flavors. But what would be a trip without trying some of the great Tunisian drinks? In Tunisia, you will discover an impressive array of drinks that you simply have to give a try when visiting! Check out this guide of the best Tunisian drinks you have to try! And find new favorites for cold, hot, non-alcoholic, and boozy drinks.
9 Tunisian drinks you must try
Tunisian beverage Citronnade - "Lemonade"
Tunisia is a great country when it comes to non-alcoholic drinks. You will find a wide variety of fresh juices. One of the most popular Tunisian drinks is a fresh lemon juice called citronnade. This juice can be compared to lemonade but the main difference is that the Tunisian version is made of fresh lemons and almost the entire fruit is used. The taste is sweeter and less tangy than in “traditional” lemonade.
In Tunisia, this refreshing juice is really popular during hot summer days and people like to drink it during Ramadan when breaking a fast. Citronnade is easy to find as many restaurants and cafes sell it. You will find a natural version that contains just lemons, water, white sugar, and sometimes vanilla sugar but some versions have been flavored with orange blossom water or springs of mint. It is common to enjoy this drink with a crunchy almond biscuit. If you want to bring a piece of Tunisia to your home, here you find a recipe for how to make your Tunisian citronnade at home.
Tunisian drink Boga
When traveling it is nice to try local soft drinks. Boga is a brand of Tunisian soft drink that is sold in a couple of different flavors. My favorite Tunisian soft drink is Boga Cidre. It’s a dark brown drink that has a unique taste a little bit close to a banana. You will recognize Boga Cidre for its yellow label. Another flavor is Boga lim that has a lemon-lime flavor. It is similar to 7 Up or Sprite. The drink is non-colored and it’s packaged in a green bottle with a red print. Boga Menthe has a mint-lime flavor and the package is fairly similar to Boga Lim just the print is blue and the bottle is dark green.
The newest version is Boga light which is similar in taste to Boga lim but it has been sweetened with an artificial sweetener. When enjoying a meal in a Tunisian restaurant or taking a fast-food sandwich with you, try to pair it with this Tunisian drink. Yummy yummy!
Tunisian drink Legmi
Tunisian drink Legmi is made from the liquid of date palm. This drink is served ice cold, it tastes sweet and flavor reminds dates. It is important to keep this drink chilled otherwise this sweet fruit juice will turn into wine or vinegar, these are called dead legmi. It is a very popular drink during Ramadan due to its high sugar content and also during hot summer days, but mainly enjoyed from March to October. This Tunisian drink is primarily sold nearby the oases, in cities like Gabes and Tozeur as transporting this delicate drink is difficult. But if you are lucky, you can find legmi from other cities from shops which sell date products.
Tunisian Coffee
Tunisia is a country of cafes and strong coffee culture. Tunisian citizens always have time to enjoy an espresso in a café and catch up with neighbors and local people. Some people are a bit busy but others spend hours and hours in cafes. It’s also very typical to go to your local café many times per day. You will see cafes full of all kinds of people: young, old, group of friends, foreigners, females, and males. The atmosphere is really unique which I have never experienced in any other country.
The Tunisian cafes are very affordable, one shot of espresso costs about 1dT (0,30€). The bars, salon de thé, and some fancier cafes might sell international coffee brands, which makes prices higher and you need to pay about 3dT (1€) for an espresso. Other common espresso-based drinks served in the cafes are called capucin and direct. The capucin is a shot of espresso with a bit of foamed milk, slightly similar to cappuccino. The direct is a shot of espresso with a lot of foamed milk, it is similar to a café latte. Also, many cafes offer americano/ diluted espresso.
The most traditional coffee is qahwa arbi (Arabic coffee), which is similar to Turkish coffee. The scent of aromatic Arabic coffee follows you as you walk in the narrow streets of Tunisia. This Tunisian drink is made in a small pot where finely grounded coffee is boiled with a bit of water and sugar. Then coffee is poured in a cup, let it rest a while so that the coffee grounds will sink to the bottom. And then start enjoying, you can also add a couple of drops of blossom water into the coffee.
Tunisian Mint Tea
Sweet mint tea served with pine nuts is a traditional Tunisian drink. Similar tea is offered in other North African countries like Algeria, Libya, and Morocco. When being a guest in a Tunisian home, chances are very high that you will be served some mint tea with sweets. The tea has a very intense flavor and it is super sweet. The traditional mint tea is green tea (gunpowder tea/loose-leaf) mixed with a generous amount of sugar and mint springs. In Tunisian, you will see very stunning tea sets which are used to serve tea. That kind of tea set is a great souvenir idea, these are sold for example in La Medina.
Tunisian drink Rouzata
Tunisian drink Rouzata is made of almonds, water, and sugar. It is a sweet and milky drink that is enjoyed on hot summer days and often served in Tunisian weddings. Rouzata is not sold in every cafe but some do sell it. The best place to buy Rouzata is traditional Tunisian bakeries. The drink is made of soaked almonds blended with water, almond extract, powder sugar, and orange blossom water. If you plan to make it on your own, prepare it a day in advance. This drink has a unique taste: sweet, refreshing, milky, and a quite strong flavor of bitter almond. Have you tried Rouzata? Did you like it?
Tunisian Wine
The location of Tunisia in Africa and being a Muslim country might make you assume that Tunisia has nothing to with winemaking. But actually, Tunisia has a very long history of producing wine. I am a big fan of wines and I could write about those for some time, but let’s go deeper into Tunisian wine culture some other time. But now I will give a couple of options were to start discovering Tunisian wines: Magon, Didona, Kurubis, and Domaine Neferis. My favorites are wines of Kurubis, so try it if you are hesitating which one try first. In restaurant, a bottle of Tunisian wine cost around 30- 70 dT (10-25€).
Tunisian drink Boukha
This is a popular Tunisian brandy distilled from figs. You can enjoy Boukha neat for example as an aperitif and digestif or use it as a cocktail ingredient. Often, I see Tunisian people mixing it with Coca-Cola. You can also try to mix it with fresh juices like orange, pineapple, grapefruit, or sweeten it up by adding pomegranate syrup. Boukha has a strong alcohol content of around 36-40% and the taste has some notes of fig and spices. If you are willing to try it, you will find it from many bars, clubs, and alcohol stores.
Tunisian Celtia-Beer
Celtia, Heineken, and Becks are the three most common beers in Tunisia. Celtia is the most popular one and it is launched by a Tunisian brewery. It is a light beer, lager style with 5° of alcohol, and it’s packaged in red and white colored cans or green bottles. Celtia is not the best beer ever but it has a refreshing taste and its simple taste makes it easy to drink. In bars and clubs, you will see tables with buckets filled with Celtia. Bottle of Celtia will cost between 3-8 dT (1-2,50€) depending on which kind of bar or club are you in. For tourists it is difficult to find a bar that sells Celtia with 3dT, normally I have paid 6dT/bottle. Some places have a happy hour when you will find alcohol at a cheaper price.
I wish you find this little guide “The best Tunisian drinks you need to try! helpful and interesting for you.
Check out also these:
The traditional Tunisian breakfast
10 Traditional Tunisian food you need to try
What to buy from Tunisia? The list of 29 food products
Hi would i be able to get non alcoholic beer in the hotels in Tunisia on an all inclusive holiday or would I be able to buy some from a local supermarket? Thanks
Hello,
There is at least one non-alcoholic beer called Celestia. Non-alcoholic beers ain’t very popular in Tunisia so it might be tricky to find, but some supermarkets should sell them. My guess is that you won’t find it at the all-inclusive hotel, but you can always ask for Celestia.
Enjoy your stay in Tunisia!
BR.Hanna