Carthage Magazine  ·  Tunisia’s story, told in English

A Carthage Magazine Cookbook  ·  First Edition

The Authentic Tunisian Cookbook

Sixty traditional recipes from the heart of North Africa — from the harissa of Tunis to the saffron rice of Djerba, from the brik of street vendors to the slow-baked koucha of Sfax.

60 Recipes 10 Chapters Researched in Tunisia
$9.99
Digital edition · Instant download
Carthage Magazine
✦   ✦   ✦
The Authentic
Tunisian
Cookbook
60 Traditional Recipes
from the Heart of North Africa
✦   ✦   ✦

A note from the editors

The cuisine the
world hasn’t
tasted yet.

Tunisia sits at the crossroads of civilisations — a small country on the northern tip of Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, the Sahara Desert, and centuries of history. It has been home to the ancient Carthaginians, the Romans, the Arabs, the Ottomans, and the French. Each visitor left something behind, and nowhere is that legacy more vivid than in the kitchen.

Tunisian cuisine is bold, aromatic, and deeply personal. It is the smell of harissa sizzling in olive oil, the warmth of a clay pot of lablabi on a winter morning, the sweetness of a makroudh shared with mint tea. It is food that tells stories — of fishing villages, desert caravans, family kitchens, and bustling medina souks.

Tunisia has been feeding the world’s imagination since the days of Carthage. It is time the world tasted it.

This is the first English-language cookbook of its kind from Carthage Magazine — sixty recipes, every one cross-checked against authoritative Tunisian sources, every one written with the cultural context that turns a recipe into a story.

What’s inside

A complete map of the Tunisian table.

Sixty recipes across ten chapters — from everyday weeknight stews to weekend celebration feasts.

60
Recipes
10
Chapters
15+
Regional traditions
I.
Salads & Mezze
6 recipes
II.
Soups & Stews
9 recipes
III.
Street Food & Snacks
8 recipes
IV.
Meat & Poultry
6 recipes
V.
Seafood
7 recipes
VI.
Vegetarian
4 recipes
VII.
Breads & Pastries
3 recipes
VIII.
Desserts & Sweets
10 recipes
IX.
Drinks & Beverages
4 recipes
X.
Regional Specialities
3 recipes

A taste of the book

Six dishes that define Tunisia.

From smoky pepper salads to slow-baked lamb, here are a few of the recipes you’ll find inside.

[Slata Mechouia photo]

Chapter I · Salads

Slata Mechouia — Grilled Pepper & Tomato Salad

Tunisia’s most beloved salad. Vegetables charred over open flame until their skins blister and their sugars caramelise — the taste of a Tunisian summer.

[Brik photo]

Chapter I · Mezze

Brik à l’Oeuf — Crispy Egg Pastry

Perhaps the single most iconic Tunisian street food — thin malsouka pastry folded around a whole egg and fried until shatteringly crisp. Eat immediately.

[Couscous photo]

Chapter IV · Meat

Couscous Bel Allouch — Sunday Lamb Couscous

The great weekly ritual of the Tunisian table. Families gather for a steaming mountain of semolina crowned with slow-cooked lamb and vegetables, fragrant with tabil and harissa.

[Mloukhia photo]

Chapter IV · Meat

Mloukhia — Tunisian Beef & Jute Leaf Stew

The king of Tunisian dishes — its name comes from the Arabic for “royal.” Dried jute leaves toasted in olive oil until almost black, then braised with beef for hours.

[Madfouna photo]

Chapter II · Stews

Madfouna — Slow-Cooked Chard, Beans & Beef

Chard fried in olive oil until almost black, then simmered for hours with white beans, beef, and small spiced meatballs until the oil rises golden to the surface — a deeply traditional plate from the home kitchens of the medina.

[Lablabi photo]

Chapter II · Soups

Lablabi — Tunisian Chickpea Soup

The soul food of Tunisia. On cold winter mornings, workers line up at street stalls for bowls of intense chickpea broth served over torn stale bread, crowned with tuna, capers, a soft egg, and a generous swirl of harissa.

The authors

Two voices, one cuisine.

A nutritionist who studies food as medicine, and a Tunis-based food writer who learns from market vendors.

[Rahma photo]

Author & Nutritionist

Rahma Rekik

Internationally registered dietitian and nutritionist, trained at Cornell University and the University of Virginia Medical Center. Rahma sees Tunisian food through both insider and outsider eyes — honouring the soul of a dish while making it nourishing for modern life.

[Amira photo]

Author & Food Writer

Amira Ben Harcha

Tunis-based food lover whose passion for Tunisian cuisine runs as deep as the country’s culinary history. Years spent in markets, home kitchens, and street corners where the real food is made — not in restaurants.

Available now

Bring Tunisia home.

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Questions

Before you buy.

What format does the ebook come in?

You’ll receive both a PDF (best for tablets, desktops, and printing) and an EPUB (best for Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and other e-readers). Both formats are included in your purchase.

How do I download it?

Immediately after checkout you’ll receive an email with a secure download link. The files are yours to keep, with lifetime access. You can re-download them at any time.

Are the recipes authentic?

Yes. Every recipe in this cookbook has been cross-referenced against authoritative Tunisian sources, including recettetunisienne.com. Where regional or family variations exist, we’ve noted them honestly. We’ve removed dishes that turned out to belong to other cuisines and added several that are quintessentially Tunisian but rarely appear in English-language cookbooks.

Are measurements in metric or US?

The recipes use metric measurements as standard (grams, millilitres, Celsius). A US conversion chart is included at the back of the book.

Do I need special equipment?

No. A heavy-bottomed pot, a wide skillet, and a regular oven will handle most recipes. A couscousière is ideal for traditional couscous but a steamer or fine-mesh colander over a pot works just as well. The book includes notes on substitutions for traditional Tunisian equipment.

Can I gift this cookbook?

Yes — please get in touch with us through carthagemagazine.com to arrange a gifted copy with a personal note from you to the recipient.

Is there a print edition?

A print edition is in development. Subscribe to the Carthage Magazine newsletter to be notified when it’s available.

About the publisher

Carthage Magazine

Tunisia’s first and largest premier English-speaking general-interest publication. Carthage Magazine uncovers the country’s rich culture, innovative spirit, and vibrant civil society — redefining the conversation about Tunisia and the wider MENA region.