Tunisian food is some of the most underrated in the Mediterranean. It is distinctly spicier than most North African cuisines, built around olive oil, preserved lemons, capers, and above all harissa -- the fiery chilli and garlic paste that appears on almost every table and in almost every dish. UNESCO recognised harissa as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022.
Couscous is the national dish, known locally as kosksi. It's steamed semolina served over a broth of meat or vegetables. Every family makes it differently; Friday is the traditional day for a big communal couscous.
Brik is a must-try street food: a paper-thin pastry triangle filled with tuna, egg, potato and harissa, then deep-fried. Eat it carefully -- the egg yolk is still runny. It's cheap, good, and found everywhere.
Mechouia is a grilled vegetable salad -- tomatoes, peppers and onions charred over flame, then chopped and dressed with olive oil and harissa. It comes as a starter or side and is often better than the main course.
Fricasse is a Tunisian street snack: a small fried dough roll split and stuffed with tuna, olives, boiled egg, potato and harissa. It costs almost nothing from a market stall.
Lablabi is chickpea soup with stale bread, harissa, cumin and a raw egg stirred in at the table. It's a breakfast dish, eaten early in the morning in cheap local cafes, and is exactly the kind of thing that makes food travel worthwhile.
Tunisia produces wine and beer and alcohol is freely sold. The local beer is Celtia. Wine from the Mornag and Grombalia regions can be decent. Mint tea served with pine nuts is the national beverage and a ceremony in itself.