Eating and Shopping in Tunisia

Souvenir shops and outdoor cafes in Sidi Bou Said.

One of the best ways to discover a country (besides looking at buildings and nature) is to see what it has to offer in terms of cuisine and shopping. At least that was my excuse for stuffing myself with food and heading to a different market almost every day. Unless you're really picky with what you eat, Tunisia is a great place to find some delicious local treats. Some of them, such as the various couscous dishes (usually with lamb or fish) might be familiar. Others, such as tajines (similar to an omelet) or brik a l'oeuf (deep-fried pastry filled with meats, cheese or shrimp and a soft-cooked egg) might be new to you and are worth trying if you get the chance, though the latter was a bit too deep-fried for my liking.

Mint tea with pine nuts. The bouquet of jasmine next to it, was sold throughout Sidi Bou Said, but I managed to get one free. Couscous with fish (top right) and appetizers incl. harissa, olives, cucumbers and canned tuna (lower right).

In general there are four types of eateries to choose from: smarter restaurants approved by the tourism industry (which are popular among locals as well), local dining places, small outdoor cafes (usually only serving drinks and occasionally pastries) and snack-bars which can be considered a local version of fast-food, though less unhealthy. And if you don't like any of their foods, you can forget about hiding out in McDonalds or KFC, because none of the Western fast-food chains have made it to Tunisia yet.

A more elegant dining option in Gammarth's 'Le Grand Bleu' with a lovely view of the coast from the terrace (top). One of the snack bars offering sandwiches with your choice of filling and fries (lower left and right).

We tried out all of the above and the snack-bar option (usually involving sandwiches, stuffed with tuna or warm roasted chicken, salad, fries and olives) was great for lunch, while regular restaurants were a good alternative for dinner. In the cafes, the main Tunisian speciality tends to be hot mint tea served with pine nuts. If you're into it, you can order a water pipe (chicha) to go along with it. The most popular soft drink was fresh lemonade (citronnade). What I quickly realized is that Tunisia has a slight obsession with canned tuna. This stuff was served as an appetizer before every meal (along with olives, harissa paste and cucumbers), but could also be found in various other dishes, sandwiches and even crêpes. Speaking of crêpes - as mentioned before, French food has happily been adopted here, so you'll easily find baguettes, croissants and other French treats here. During the two weeks I spent in Tunisia, I actually had more crêpes than I ever had in France. For more foodie fun, we made sure to head to the souks selling spices, vegetables and fish. Tunisians are big on all meats (except pork - for religious reasons), seafood, pastries/sweets (similar to what you'll find in Turkey), dates, olives and the spicy harissa paste (made of peppers, tomatoes, olive oil and salt).

Spices and dried herbs in Sousse's souks.

Local pastries and baguettes on sale in the souk (Sousse).

They also sold live snails, which didn't look too appetizing considering they were actively crawling up a branch (left) and fresh dates (right).

The fish market in Sfax. They even sold small sharks, which I sincerely hope aren't endangered (lower left) and eels (lower right).

While hunting down and trying local foods proved to be quite rewarding, shopping for other stuff was a bit trickier. As mentioned in my last post, many of the souks turned out to be quite touristy. And as I soon realized, the main sources of finding non-food related products were restricted to either these markets, shopping malls filled with slightly tacky local chains I'd never heard of before or small shops that sold sparkly 'prêt-a-porter' and 'haute couture' creations that were a tad too outdated and prom-queen for my liking. So you can imagine my delight, when upon arrival in Tunis, I found out my check-in bag had gone missing. Had I been in a big city with well-known stores or quaint boutiques, I probably would have rejoiced and spent some travel-insurance money in them. But I was in Tunis and by the time my bag showed up a day later, I already had visions of me standing in a crowded souk, haggling with a vendor over the price of neon-colored polyester underwear.

The somewhat touristy market in Tunis, which sold everything from leather goods, fake LV bags and carpets, to football/soccer shirts.

The most commercial part of the Tunis souks, offering cheap sunglasses and counterfeit goods.

Most souks, which can be found within a medina, follow the same layout: the center is occupied by the Great Mosque surrounded by souks in a strict hierarchy. Noble souks selling incense, perfumes or carpets are closest to the mosque, while noisier and smellier souks belonging to blacksmiths or butchers are located towards the edge of the medina. In many cases, such as the souks in Tunis or Monastir, you'll find plenty of souvenir shops in the markets, selling stuffed animals (usually camels) and other junk that's made in China. A lot of the products are overpriced and you'll get a large number of pushy vendors trying to lure you into their shops. The best way to get rid of them is to just ignore them completely. If you do find something you like, you'll need to haggle (start at about a third of the price they give you). There are also state-owned craft shops which sell items at a fixed price if you don't feel like haggling. It's worth coming here just to get an idea of what prices are like before going to a market.

The more noble perfume souks, selling scented pure oils or a specially concocted perfume of your choice. You can even get popular designer perfumes replicated here.

One of the official craft and souvenir shops in Monastir. The replica brand name perfumes fascinated me the most, incl. 'Chanail 5', 'Dakka Noir' and 'K One'.

Tunisia specializes mainly in perfume (particularly in jasmine, rose and geranium scents), ceramics, silver/gold jewelry and brass or copper items. You'll also find plenty of vendors selling traditional clothing items, but most of the above is favored either by tourists or by richer/older locals. The younger generation can be found in the souks buying cheap costume jewelry, fake designer products and mass-produced decor items. I had forgotten bad fakes still existed and I was blown away by the fact that even perfumes were counterfeited. My favorite pseudo-brands were 'J-Star Raw', 'Levie Strausst' and 'Abibas' (the latter was sported by an older lady wearing a headscarf and a black two-striped track suit. Priceless.).

I spent a record 5 seconds in a local shopping mall (top left) filled with local retail stores. Streetsyle in Tunis involves casual gear and the occasional headscarf (above right). More prestigious stores in Sfax and Mahdia (lower left & right). Gotta love the sign of the men's store...

Even though Tunisia didn't strike me as a fashion capital (and it really isn't), it has given the world two big international designers: most notably Azzedine Alaïa who grew up near Monastir, and Max Azria who was born in Sfax. From what I could tell, none of their pieces are sold in this country (not surprising, as I don't think most locals would spend that much money on clothes) and I wondered if the general population knew of them at all. Most girls did wear clothing that was hip and cool enough. The basic uniform consisted of a tee and jeans, along with Converse sneakers or ballerinas. Because this is a Muslim country, shoulders and legs were always covered (and I'd advise anyone else to adhere to this dress code, unless you're in a tourist zone) and some girls wore a hajib (headscarf), though the rest of their outfit remained casual.

Mahdia is famous for its silk weaving. Left: one of the small silk workshops. Right: Colorful ceramics in the Sousse market.

The jewelry souk in Tunis specializing in expensive silver and gold pieces (left). Art in Tunis usually involves verses of the Koran written out in decorative script (right).

Even if many of the souks were a bit annoying with the pushy vendors and touristy wares, it's still lots of fun to browse them. Sfax had the best souks - remarkably untouched by tourism and very authentic. I was most impressed by their fabric shops selling everything from embroidered silk to fine linen. It is also this souk, that was used as a setting in the movie 'The English Patient', as a stand-in for Cairo who's markets were already too modern for a period drama. If you get a chance to visit this part of the world, I'd definitely drop by this city just for the markets alone.

Crafts (left) and blacksmiths (right) in Sfax's souks.

Traditional outfits (left) and dried flowers (right) in Sfax.

Still in Sfax: a men's tailor (left) and women buying fabric nearby (right).

Haute fashion in Sfax's souks: sparkly candyfloss colored dresses seem to be popular...

Impressions of Tunis / The Sahel / Sfax (Tunisia)

So, I'm finally back in Paris and as you can tell, I unfortunately didn't get a chance to blog while I was away but of course I plan on catching up on that now. I'll also get back to all your lovely comments today and tomorrow, so don't worry... I haven't forgotten about any of you! First up though, I thought I'd share some of my vacation pics and experiences.

As some may know, I spent the last two weeks in Tunisia, a country I had never visited before. The main motivation for visiting this particular area was that it was supposedly less touristy than Morocco, a country we initially wanted to target (and will probably visit at some point anyway). And while there are countries out there that are either very touristy or not at all, Tunisia falls somewhere in between. Because of its large coastline with sandy white beaches, historic monuments and architecture, colorful markets and mostly untouched landscape, it has become a bit of a tourist trap, resulting in giant hotel chains planting themselves along the coast and cab drivers or souvenir shop owners who will try to rip you off because you're a foreigner. Then there are other areas where you'll end up being the only tourist among locals. Unfortunately these areas are a little less accessible...

Clock tower on Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis.

Tunis

Tunisia is a melting pot of different cultures, thanks to the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Turks and more recently the French who occupied the country at various points throughout history. In big cities, such as the capital Tunis, the most visible influences are those of Arab Islamic and French origin. The ancient medinas (traditional old Arab towns) with their souks (markets), mosques, narrow alleys and old houses can usually be found directly adjacent to the French Ville Nouvelle with it's large avenues, grand colonial houses and outdoor cafes. In fact, the entire Tunisian lifestyle is a mix of old and new: traditional pastries are sold alongside baguettes and croissants. Outdoor cafes adopted from the French are very popular and while Arab is the official language of the country, French is spoken by almost everyone (it's taught early on in primary school).

French colonial architecture as seen on the Théâtre Municipal. The fancy street lamps can be found throughout the Ville Nouvelle.

Tunis itself was not my favorite city. The architecture was interesting enough, but I found the souks to be disappointing. I will do a separate entry on the markets and food in my next post, but safe to say that the markets here are very touristy and overpriced.

The Bab el-Bahr gate connecting the Ville Nouvelle with the medina. It used to be part of the medina wall, but only the gate remains.

Entrance to the main souk/market area in the medina.

Tunis' Great Mosque in the heart of the medina.

After spending two days here, we headed towards the coast to the smaller towns of Gammarth and La Marsa. Beware that many big resorts have opened up here and many so-called tourist zones have been built, so if you're not a fan of this, pick your hotel wisely. Sidi Bou Said which became known as an 'artist village', mainly because of painters such as Paul Klee or August Macke who paid it a visit and never wanted to leave, are still charming but are now swamped with expensive souvenir shops and cafes. The beautiful views and picturesque buildings make up for it though.

View of Sidi Bou Said from afar. The blue and white color scheme is the most striking feature of this little village.

Different buildings and pathways throughout Sidi Bou Said.

What I loved most about the Tunisian Islamic architecture were the intricately studded doors, a symbol of a resident's fortune and happiness. All doors taken in Sidi Bou Said, except the top left which was taken in Tunis.

Carthage, one of the most powerful cities of the ancient world, is definitely worth a visit as well. Most of the ancient buildings are now ruins, but still impressive to behold and are great examples of Punic and Roman architecture.

The ampitheatre in Carthage.

Part of the impressive ruins of the Antonine Baths (Carthage).

The Sahel

Our next stop after Tunis and its surroundings was the Sahel region, the East Coast of Tunisia which has many of the country's lovely beaches. Again, you'll find plenty of tourist zones and big resorts here. It's also one of those places where you can get away without speaking Arab or French, as most people around the markets and town center spoke everything from German to Russian fluently (which can be pretty off-putting if you're trying to experience a local culture). Mahdia and Monastir are charming coastal towns, the latter is very lively thanks to the university which attracts a large number of the younger population. I was most impressed by Monastir's ribat (fortified Muslim monastery), the oldest and best-preserved one in the country. Sousse is Tunisia's third-largest city and comes with a big medina containing souks (less touristy than those in Tunis), a great food market and a sprawling Ville Nouvelle.

View of Mahdia from above.

Bourguiba Mosque in Monastir.

Interior view of Monastir's ribat (taken from the top level).

Monastir's seafront and port.

One of the entrances to Sousse's medina, which is surrounded by a 9th century wall.

Sfax

Sfax is Tunisia's second largest city after Tunis and yet surprisingly, it was the most relaxing and most authentic place we visited. It's also the cleanest city of the bunch and the one that had the most lovely, well-preserved souks. When we went to the markets, we were the only tourists there and no one was pushy in trying to sell us stuff. People on the streets would greet us with 'bonjour' and a welcoming smile.

Colonial buildings in Sfax' Ville Nouvelle.

Main entrances to Sfax's medina.

Part of the medina walls which completely surround the old Arab part of the city.

View of Sfax's kasbah (castle/fortress) from the interior with part of the Sfax skyline in the background.

All in all, I had a great time and Tunisia is well worth visiting, though I will give some pointers: unless you can help it, don't stay in a resort hotel in a tourist zone (they're usually far away from the town center); cabs are safe but make sure the driver charges you on the meter; local cafes like charging tourists extra so make sure you see a menu with prices before you order anything and make sure you brush up on your French (or Arabic) before you go, as most people won't speak English. I'll probably visit this country again at some point, although next time, we'd be more inclined to head further South (near the Sahara) where you'll still get to see a lot of the more traditional Berber villages and stunning landscape.

Olive groves in the Sahel (taken from a train).