Food and Drink Tips in Tunisia

Try Tunisian “Fast Food”

Did you know Tunisia has its own version of “fast food”? This is not the fast food you’re used to. Many of the local restaurants you’ll come across will be fast food restaurants serving dishes like:

• Fricassé

• Makloub

• Lablabi

• Brik

• Bambalouni

• All sorts of sandwiches

• And so much more

We loved hitting these local spots for lunch, in particular. They were fast, easy, and cheap.

Don’t Drink the Tap Water

If you’re wondering whether or not the tap water is safe to drink in Tunisia, it’s relatively safe. However, we would recommend drinking bottled water, as the tap water is not always safe throughout Tunisia and doesn’t taste very good anyway. The tap water is 100% safe to cook with and boil.

Eat Your Weight in Dates

Did you know Tunisia is one of the biggest date producers in the world? While you can get dates wherever in Tunisia, they are best in the south where they’re from. When we were in Tozeur, we bought boxes and boxes of dates to eat every day. They are absolutely delicious, so don’t miss out!

You Can’t Buy Alcohol on Fridays Unless You Bring Your Passport

As a Muslim country, you cannot easily buy alcohol on Fridays. However, if you are really craving a beer, you can typically go to a supermarket and buy alcohol if you bring your passport, especially in the major cities. With that said, we did once try to do this one Friday in Tozeur, which is more conservative, and all the alcohol was packed away for the day. So, don’t be surprised if you can’t find any at all.

Drink Your Weight in Mint Tea

In our opinion, countries can often be divided into two types: coffee countries and tea countries. Tunisia is 100% a tea country, and you should take advantage of it during your stay. Specifically, try Tunisian mint tea. Tunisian mint tea is made with green tea, fresh mint, and sugar. Traditionally, you’ll find pine nuts inside the tea as well.

Try Various Tunisian Foods

Tunisian food is so underrated. It’s delicious, varied, and has the right amount of spice. If you’re familiar with harissa at all, this is the most famous thing to come out of Tunisian cuisine, but you’ve got to try these foods during your stay (on top of the fast food options already listed above):

• Couscous

• Tagine

• Ojja

• Merguez

• Mechouia Salad

During our month in Tunisia, we ate Tunisian food 80% of the time and didn’t get sick of it! You’re missing out if you don’t try traditional Tunisian cuisine. The flavors are to die for.