Should you expect to find and eat pork on your trip to Tunisia? As you probably know, Tunisia is a Muslim country, with 98% of its population adhering to Islam. At the same time, the country caters to millions of tourists per year, many of whom come from Europe where eating pork is no sin.
In Tunisia, you can find pork served at resort hotels and you can buy it at stores in larger cities. Still, you should be aware that Tunisia is a Muslim country and therefore much of the population considers it inappropriate to consume or even come in contact with pork.
With this in mind, you may reasonably conclude that it’s best to just not eat pork during your visit, especially if you’re only staying for a few days or weeks. On the other hand, there are many long-term visitors who have come to Tunisia for work, study, or retirement, who may not want to go without pork indefinitely. And of course there are tourists who just want to live it up on their vacation and eat what their heart and stomach desires. So, for the low-down on eating pork in Tunisia, read on!
Why Tunisians Don’t Eat Pork
It is not against the law to eat pork in Tunisia, but it is culturally inappropriate because it goes against the rules of Islam. Ninety-eight percent of Tunisians are Muslim, and it is forbidden in Islam to eat pork. You can look up an English translation of the Quran (5:3) and find a clear prohibition:
“Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah….” (Quran 5:3)
For Muslims, the distaste for pork actually goes back even further than the Quran. The Jewish Torah, which is also part of the Christian Old Testament, includes prohibitions on pork, and Muslims believe that the Torah’s author, Moses, was a true prophet that received revelation from God long before Mohammed received the Quran. So, in addition to being a command from God, Muslims see abstaining from pork as a cultural practice that has thousands of years of tradition behind it. You will want to keep this in mind if you choose to chow down on bacon in the presence of your Tunisian hosts.
Where to Find Pork in Tunisia
As a tourist, you can find pork served at the all-inclusive beach resorts and other hotels with restaurants. We drove down to Hammamet (a very popular beach town in northeastern Tunisia) to see this for ourselves. We stopped in at five different hotels at random and asked the front desk clerk whether they served pork. Four out of the five said yes, they do. The four that said yes quickly followed up their answer by saying that the pork will be clearly marked in the restaurant buffet. This is to accommodate tourists while also preventing any Muslim guests from accidentally putting pork on their plate.
The one hotel in Hammamet we visited that didn’t serve pork explained that it was because of their clientele. While most hotels in Hammamet cater to European tourists, this one hosts mostly Tunisians and guests from the Middle East. The hotel worker mentioned Syrians in particular. The mostly Muslim guests would not appreciate having pork served in the hotel restaurant, so they don’t serve it. The hotel worker also mentioned that if their clientele were more mixed, they would change the policy.
If you’re a long-term visitor who is looking to satiate your pork fix, you can find pork products for sale at grocery stores in the bigger cities, and also in specialty food shops. We went to a big grocery store chain called Geant in the capital city of Tunis and found a special section labeled Charcuterie de Porc. This section was filled with Pancetta, Mortadella, Chorizo, different kinds of Salami, and other pork products.
There are a number of specialty or delicatessen (charcuterie in French) shops in the cities that sell pork. One example in Tunis is near the Marsa Carrefour store, and it’s called Le Petit Coin de France. This is a pork butcher where you can buy bacon, minced meat, pork sausage, pigtail, pork shank, tenderloin, ribs, pork chops, and different pig parts like ears, feet, neck, and belly.
How Much Pork Costs in Tunisia
The pork we found was expensive compared to other meats in Tunisia. By comparison, a Kilo of beef steak from a butcher in Tunis costs around 34 Dinars at the time that we write this. Bacon from a butcher is double the cost. Here are some examples of the costs of different pork products. The prices in Dollars and Pounds are based on the exchange rate in March 2020.
Tuscano Salami 250 grams: 25 Dinars / $8.78 / 7.16 GBP
Smoked Bacon in a package 176 grams: 29 Dinars / $10.19 / 8.30 GBP
Smoked Bacon from the butcher 1 Kilo: 70 Dinars / $24.60 / 20 GBP
Chorizo sausage from Italy 250 grams: 20 Dinars / $7.03 / 5.72 GBP
Ribs from the butcher 1 Kilo: 36 Dinars / $12.66 / 10.30 GBP
Sausage links from the butcher 1 Kilo: 42 Dinars / $14.76 / 12 GBP
Long story short, pork is available but expensive. Probably most of the pork sold in these stores is purchased by foreigners. The price is high because it’s a rare luxury. Also, the packaged pork products in the grocery store seemed to all be imported from Italy and France.
Should I Eat Pork or Abstain?
As long-term visitors to Tunisia, Abi and I have made an effort to understand and respect Tunisia’s cultural norms. Tunisia is an amazing country, not just because of its landscape and pretty beaches, but because of its unique people. In our opinion, you will have a much, much better experience in Tunisia if you come in with the attitude of a learner and a guest. As much as is appropriate, we try to join in on the Tunisian way of life. Deciding to adapt this mindset can open you up to a ton of new experiences that you wouldn’t have otherwise. A big reason we started this blog was to encourage and equip tourists to take a step out of their comfort zone and try something new. Tunisia will likely reward you for the effort!
Alternatives to Pork on Your Visit to Tunisia
As a visitor, one good reason to abstain from pork on your trip is to allow yourself to try some delicious Tunisian foods. One kind of popular meat in Tunisia that is a close substitute of pork is Merguez (pronounced like medegez). This is a spicy beef sausage made in small links. They put Merguez and other meats in a dish called Ojja, which is a spicy tomato-based kind of stew that they eat with scoop up with baguette bread. Ojja has a poached egg in it, and you can order it with Merguez, chicken, seafood, or a combination of those things.
There are other good dishes that feature meat as well. A fun option is to visit a mechwi place, which is the Tunisian version of a barbeque restaurant. The Arabic word mechwi (pronounced mish-wee) means “grilled.” A mechwi place centers its menu around grilled meats. You can easily identify them on the side of the road because they put their grills outside where you can see the smoke rising. Visit a mechwi place and you can have your option of beef, chicken, turkey, and goat. Like many Muslim countries, you can get also get a great lamb shank at restaurants.
Of course, no trip to Tunisia would be complete without having some fresh fish brought straight from the Mediterranean. A fish plate in Tunisia is simple and delicious, usually served with French fries and grilled salad. The fish itself is served bone in, and grilled with salt, pepper and cumin. Our favorite kind of fish is Durat. It’s delicious, cheap, and not too difficult to pick the bones out.
Conclusion
While it is legal and relatively easy to enjoy pork in Tunisia, it is important to keep in mind that doing so goes against the cultural grain. We hope this little guide helps you make an informed decision about your eating dining experiences in Tunisia. As far as food goes, there is a lot to look forward to on your trip! So, Bon appetit! Or as they say in Arabic, Shahia Taiba!
