tunisian table staples
most of the following show up at each event, and yes, we know, not all of them are tunisian
cilantro aka coriander—bright and zesty, some people think it tastes like soap, they’re wrong
parsley—cleansing and versatile, was a symbol of joy and festivity in ancient Greece
mint—so fresh!
aleppo pepper—bold, woody, not too hot
cumin—smells like armpit but tastes amazing
saffron—quite possibly the most ancient of all the spices, nutty and stains bright yellow so watch out
sumac—tart and fruity, deep cherry red color
za’atar—spice blend of oregano, thyme, sesame seeds, and a teeny tiny bit of sumac
harissa—spicy paste made of dried peppers, garlic, and olive oil (everyone has their own version)
lemon verbena—an herb, a tea, an herbal tea
preserved lemon—usually meyer, used to brighten and deepen all at the same time
really good olive oil (like olave)—used to finish most everything
orange blossom water—a little goes a long way
rose water—even less goes a longer way
almonds—one of the first domesticated tree nuts (the wild ones are bitter and poisonous)
pistachios—pistachio trees can live up to 150 years, yowza
wheatberry—big hearty grain
quinoa—superfood
semolina—make a pizza, make a cake, or if you have all day, make cous cous the old fashioned way
fennel—the bulbs are sometimes placed in a pitcher of water for a faint anise flavor, mmm
pomegranate—shout out to Persephone and her mama Demeter
cilantro aka coriander—bright and zesty, some people think it tastes like soap, they’re wrong
parsley—cleansing and versatile, was a symbol of joy and festivity in ancient Greece
mint—so fresh!
aleppo pepper—bold, woody, not too hot
cumin—smells like armpit but tastes amazing
saffron—quite possibly the most ancient of all the spices, nutty and stains bright yellow so watch out
sumac—tart and fruity, deep cherry red color
za’atar—spice blend of oregano, thyme, sesame seeds, and a teeny tiny bit of sumac
harissa—spicy paste made of dried peppers, garlic, and olive oil (everyone has their own version)
lemon verbena—an herb, a tea, an herbal tea
preserved lemon—usually meyer, used to brighten and deepen all at the same time
really good olive oil (like olave)—used to finish most everything
orange blossom water—a little goes a long way
rose water—even less goes a longer way
almonds—one of the first domesticated tree nuts (the wild ones are bitter and poisonous)
pistachios—pistachio trees can live up to 150 years, yowza
wheatberry—big hearty grain
quinoa—superfood
semolina—make a pizza, make a cake, or if you have all day, make cous cous the old fashioned way
fennel—the bulbs are sometimes placed in a pitcher of water for a faint anise flavor, mmm
pomegranate—shout out to Persephone and her mama Demeter