Fricassé (فريكاسي) is Tunisian fried pastry filled with various ingredients. It is inexpensive yet very delicious, and it is a typical Tunisian street food.
Typical fricassé comes in the form of a small, elongated fried bun made from leavened dough. After frying, the fricassé is allowed to cool briefly, then sliced lengthwise and filled with various ingredients.
Typical fricassé fillings include:
- Tuna – canned tuna is used.
- Boiled egg – usually cut into slices or small pieces.
- Olives – black or green olives, sometimes served separately (due to the pit).
- Harissa – a spicy Tunisian paste made from chili peppers, garlic, and spices, which adds piquancy to the dish.
- Boiled potato – in some variations, diced or mashed boiled potato is added.
The ingredients are often combined according to personal preferences—just tell the vendor at the stall what filling you like.
A popular legend links the origin of fricassé to a Tunisian Jewish woman who improvised with excess fried dough and tried filling it with savory ingredients. However, the French colonial rule over Tunisia might have also played a role. The French introduced baguettes, which were at one time in short supply. As a result, the dough began to be fried, and the filling was possibly influenced by the French Niçoise salad, which contains tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and olives. Fricassé also became a popular street food in Israel due to the emigration of Tunisian Jewish families. The history of fricassé is thus intertwined with local Tunisian traditions as well as external influences.
Fricassé is often sold on the streets at small stalls. It is mainly consumed as a quick snack during the day. Fricassé is very inexpensive; one piece generously filled with tuna, egg, potatoes, harissa, and olives cost me 1 TND (0.30 EUR) in Kairouan, while a similarly filled fricassé in the capital city of Tunisia was slightly less expensive (1.200 TND/0.35 EUR).
The dough in fricassé tastes very similar to a langoš after frying; if you enjoy this specialty, you will surely love fricassé as well.
Bon appétit!
