COOK LIKE A LOCAL TUNISIA

From restorative meat and grain-based broths to spiced carrot salads experience the vibrant and diverse flavours from North Africa

- HAFIDA BEN REJEB LATTA

Tunisia is the jewel of North Africa, where green fertile valleys lead down to breathtaking views across the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean. The monuments of Roman-era Carthage speak of past civilizations who thrived here, and the land has been crisscrossed by invading empires ever since. Each has left its own indelible mark on the national cuisine.

Today, the cuisine of Tunisia is possibly one of the greatest undiscovered treasures of the Mediterranean. The country's proud heritage of embracing and assimilating the foods and tastes of other cultures is evident in every dish. From the Phoenician sailors who brought the olive tree and Spanish explorers returning with tomatoes from the New World, to traders who introduced the herbs and spices from the Middle East so valued by ancient physicians for their health-giving properties, Tunisia has always been a melting pot of societies and food traditions. The delicate flavours of garden vegetables stand in stark contrast to the pungent seasoning, but ever in harmony with the ubiquitous extra-virgin olive oil grown from ancient cultivars. The oil- and indeed the whole cuisine - are now the subject of contemporary research revealing the profound benefits for health at the heart of the Mediterranean diet. It seems the Tunisians evolved a natural goodness in their food which ties in well with the contemporary popularity of healthy eating.

Shorbat frik

This dish appears on Tunisian dinner tables on almost all 29 nights of Ramadan. It is especially well loved in the fasting month because its hearty ingredients of meat, frik (freekeh) and stock both quench thirst and satisfy hunger.