Tunisian and sweet-toothed tend to go together. In the lanes of the médina as on the blue-and-white paving of Sidi Bou Said, nobody turns down a craving — two days a week, let’s say, to stay reasonable. Here are seven small indulgences, some ancestral, some everyday, that have been winning over Tunisian hearts (and stomachs) forever.
1. Maâchâach, the classic that needs no introduction
M3ach3ech to those who know it, it turns up in the little pastry hanouts (corner shops) of the médina, around the rue Dabbaghine in particular. Crisp and fragrant, the M3ach3ech is a fixture of the Tunisian sweet memory — one of those desserts you go and fetch without a second thought, the moment the craving hits.
2. Hrissa Hlowa, the almond sweet of the souks
Made of almond and “Ch7our” sugar, Hrissa Hlowa is a safe bet, found at every turn of the souks and sold by street vendors from small carts. Traditional and steeped in nostalgia, it tastes of childhood markets and belongs to that Tunisian cooking of a thousand flavours you rediscover down every lane.
3. The dried-fruit cocktail, the Tunisian magic potion
Eggnog or all-fruit cocktail, everything goes in: dried fruit, “droô” for some, dates. Concentrated and “multivitamin”, this cocktail is an institution with the juice sellers of the passage and of the médina alike, handed down from one generation to the next much like a whole culinary inheritance particular to Tunisia.
4. The fruit tart, the médina’s affordable treat
Handmade and gently priced, the fruit tart is eaten at the Zitouna pâtisserie, in the médina — nowhere else gives you this much flavour for so little. We’re betting you won’t find its equal outside the walls.
5. The millefeuille, unbeatable in the great pâtisseries
Golden in the old style and thick with cream, the millefeuille remains a Tunisian favourite. You’ll find it just about everywhere, from the Habib Mokhtar pâtisserie at the Bardo to DeCarlo in Lafayette, by way of Zalez in Bizerte.
6. The bambalouni, the sweet ritual of Sidi Bou Said
How do you walk the blue-and-white lanes of Sidi Bou Said without stopping for a bambalouni — the doughnut you eat piping hot? A real weakness, almost a pilgrim’s rite, and one you’ll find over in La Marsa and its art of living too. Crisp, generously dusted with sugar, and far too good.
7. Praline peanuts, the crunch of the pavement
Simmered in a syrup heavy with sugar and colouring, but wonderfully crunchy, praline peanuts sell mostly near schools, near playgrounds, on a street corner. Hardly “healthy”, but Tunisians know how to give themselves a treat.
