Hold the Harissa

I LOVE Tunisian food. Brik. Bambalouni. Couscous. Kafteji. Makrout. Mechouia. Mint Tea.  Fabulous fish.  And much, much more.

I love the vibrant markets, tasty street food, fancy and not-so-fancy restaurants.      I loved my two cooking classes.

True Confessions. I do not love all Tunisian food.      I HATE harissa, a scorching, blazing red sauce that is a mainstay in Tunisian cuisine.      I am not a fan of fire food. I find nothing pleasant about a burning mouth.      I like to savor flavors, different tastes – not have them overpowered by heat. I know. I am outnumbered.

In many dishes harissa is served on the side – optional.      In some, like couscous, it is usually a key ingredient.      I learned.      Just ask.      “Hold the harissa.”

Harissa plays no role is one of my favorites:   Bambalouni, a light, airy, crispy, deep-fried, large, donut like creation.      It’s popular at street stands.      It was a breakfast buffet selection at a hotel where I stayed. I’d like to begin every day with a Bambalouni and coffee.      Heaven!

Tunisian salads   – usually without harissa – are phenomenal.   Above, a shrimp salad.    Mechouia   is a national favorite: green peppers, tomatoes, caraway, olive oil.    Depending on the cook, other ingredients can be added.      The secret is grilling the vegetables which gives a distinct, smokey enhancement.      

Couscous, above, is popular throughout the Maghreb, i.e. Morocco and Algeria too.      It can be made with lamb (most traditional), beef, chicken or fish, added to steamed semolina and vegetables in a spicy sauce, normally including harissa.         I ordered the lamb version for one of my first  Tunisian meals. – delicious with harissa on the side. I tried a taste with fire — not for me.    According to my guidebook, there are 300 different ways to prepare couscous.

Brik.      So many versions. All so delicious. Very, very thin dough, like filo, is folded over a combo of ingredients, such as tuna, veggies, cheese, perhaps harissa, then deep fried until crisp and golden.      In Tunisia you can buy packages of Brik dough. I may try with packaged filo.      Bambalouni for breakfast and Brik for lunch — for me nothing could be better.      

Canned tuna makes a frequent appearance in Tunisian cuisine — in innovative salads or sandwiches, combined with other goodies, and always a delight.         
An egg, usually soft boiled, is another frequent Tunisian ingredient.      The gooey yellow is an added treat.

Kafteji   Vegetables star in Tunisian cuisine.      Here they are fried, finely chopped together, combined with an egg as mentioned above, harissa, and served alone or stuffed into a flatbread sandwich.         They are another street food sensation with countless variations.      You can “hold the harissa.”   

Makrout.   Tunisians love pastry.      This is THE national sweet, a deep-fried cookie made with semolina, flower water and filled with a date paste mixture. In the town of Kairouan, Mme. Halima offers a Makrout workshop in her home.            I learned the preparation intricacies (see video above) and saw the amazing contraption, below, used for flower water distillation.

Mint Tea.      Tunisia is a Moslem country, and most Moslems do not drink alcohol.      Nonetheless the country produces both beer and wine.      I indulge in both, but not on this trip due to the health crisis I suffered during my travels.(see previous post, The Trip that Almost Wasn’t) I did not miss the booze.      I became addicted to mint tea which is served everywhere and better than any I can make at home.      Must be the Tunisian mint.            

This is just a mini sampling of Tunisian food.   For more on Tunisia, see previous post,  In Awe of Tunisia. More food soon in a post about my stay at Dar El Gaied, an exquisite guest house where I had an at-home private cooking course…with harissa definitely on hold.

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