Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Taste of Tunisia - Part 1

Lo and behold....

.... Jaclyn's finally squeezed some time to blog about her much-publicised trip to the neighbouring continent of AFRICA.

Six months back, my brother and I decided we needed a break from the European culture and booked ourselves a trip to Tunisia, the northern-most country in Africa. We were more than keen on getting away from the winter woes of Glasgow and, boy, was there sun, sun and more sun in Tunisia!


~Me looking all touristy, munching on some local delicacy (tuna- & egg-stuffed bread)~


Spent 8 days/7 nights in this beautiful country, almost reluctant to return to Scotland. Tunisia is quite a small country, about the size of Peninsular M'sia.



~City view of Sousse, where we stayed for most of our trip. Notice the flat rooftops, typical of Middle-Eastern countries~




The beauty of Tunisia lies not only in its gorgeous landscape/scenery (photos will ensue in the Part 2 entry) but also in the amalgamation of various culture in her people.

The Tunisians were previously colonised by the Greeks, Romans, Phoenicians, Arabs and French.



I found myself intrigued to see Tunisians strolling about with a french baguette under one arm and speaking French.





Spices are abundant and reasonably cheap in Tunisia, the most famous being harissa, a distinct-tasting chilli spice used on the side to complement Tunisian meals.


Saffron is also widely sold, at a much cheaper price as compared to other parts of Europe.





Tunisians also love their dates (right), which are heavenly sweet even when eaten fresh and unprocessed.

Also commonly sold in their souqs (daily market) are assorted nuts and sweets, which are often displayed temptingly in large trays (left).



Briq - a famous tunisian delicacy, although not the healthiest, is basically deep-fried thin pastry filled with tuna, onion, coriander, salad and egg.


The amazing taste of briq stems from the perfectly-cooked egg, with the yolk still runny, thinly soaking the crispy pastry.

Served with a fresh concoction of lemon juice-drizzled salad, this starter was just out of this world.





A hearty Tunisian meal in a local, low-key restaurant-
  • A basket of baquettes (side)
  • Grilled fish, chips and aubergine mash (my mains)

  • Chicken cous-cous cooked in a tajine pot (brother's mains; half-eaten!)
  • Salad a la tunisie (side)

  • Oranges (dessert)
  • and of course, good ol' coca-cola (drinks)

(not in the picture: our spicy tomato soup starter)



Alrighty, let me not leave you guys mouth-watering.


Here ends my Tunisian food post. Views of Tunisian landscape and adventures in the next entry!

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