Ramadan in Tunisia is a time of fasting, reflection, and community. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days, abstaining from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours. The fast is broken each evening at sunset with a meal called iftar, and another meal is eaten before the start of the fast in the morning called suhoor.
Iftar is a special time for families and friends to come together and share a meal after a day of fasting. In Tunisia, iftar usually begins with dates and water, which are traditionally used to break the fast. After this, a variety of dishes are served, including soups, salads, and main courses.
One of the most popular dishes served at iftar is “brik”, a savory pastry filled with egg, tuna, or meat, and deep-fried until crispy. Other popular dishes include “lablabi”, a chickpea soup with bread and harissa, and “tagine”, a slow-cooked stew made with chicken, lamb, or beef and flavored with spices such as cumin, coriander, and cinnamon.
For dessert, Tunisians enjoy a variety of sweets, including “baklava”, a sweet pastry made with layers of filo pastry and honey, and “zlabia”, a deep-fried doughnut-like pastry coated in syrup. Beverages commonly served at iftar include “jallab”, a sweet drink made with dates, rose water, and other ingredients, and “qamara”, a refreshing citrus-based drink.
Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, is an important part of the fasting tradition in Tunisia. This meal is typically eaten before sunrise and consists of a variety of foods that will provide energy for the day ahead. Popular suhoor dishes in Tunisia include “bsissa”, a porridge made from roasted barley flour, and “tajine”, a slow-cooked stew similar to the one served at iftar.
When you are invited for a Tunisian iftar, please remember the following advises:
Remembers, Tunisians are extremely hospitable nation and love lots of items during iftar. So, if you are invited, prepare yourself to eat lots of food.
If the iftar invitation is from a family, make sure you let the host family know if you have any preferences when it comes to how spicy you like your food to be. If you cannot tolerate spicy food, you might want to flag that to them in advance. As Tunisians love their Harissa spices, everyone may not like it.
The specific time for breaking the fast is set and the last few minutes prior to the call for prayer are usually the hardest. So being late is considered being culturally inappropriate so make sure you are on time.
There will be Tunisian soups, salads, the famous briks, main course and a variety of Ramadan related desserts that I will write about in an upcoming blog post. My recommendation would be to encourage you to portion your intake. You don’t want to eat too much of one dish and end up being rude by not trying anything from the rest of the dishes.
The person who is hosting you is probably fasting when he or she cooked the meals and invited you so make sure you complement them and emphasize how tasty the food is. I know this is basic human niceties but it doesn’t harm to remind of how important this is. In Islam, and in the Tunisian society, courtesy is considered as extremely important.
Bring a sweet treat or healthy dessert (mainly fruits or baked goodies). Don’t show up empty handed. That’s not the nicest thing to do and don’t bring a bottle of wine. Bringing wine as gift during the month of Ramadan shall look rude.
In conclusion, Ramadan in Tunisia is a time of fasting, reflection, and community. If you ever have the opportunity to experience Ramadan in Tunisia, you will be able to enjoy the rich culture of iftar and suhoor, as well as some of the most delicious dishes in the world.
