In brief
- Shakshouka: eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce
- Origin: the Maghreb, first and foremost Tunisia
- Essential ingredients: tomatoes, pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, eggs
- A dish shared straight from the pan, served for breakfast, brunch or a light meal
Origins and cultural history of shakshouka
Shakshouka is a dish from the Maghreb, first and foremost from Tunisia. In Tunisian and Algerian dialectal Arabic, the word means a "mixture": it describes exactly the preparation, eggs poached in a sauce of simmered vegetables. The earliest known written mentions date back to the late nineteenth century, in French colonial sources that already describe "chakchouka" as a common Tunisian dish, made with tomatoes and peppers that had arrived from the New World and had come to enrich older Berber vegetable stews.
In the mid-twentieth century, the emigration of Jewish communities from Tunisia and Libya to Israel carried the recipe along, and it then settled into Israeli cuisine before reaching brunch tables around the world. In Tunisia, the original version stands out for its use of harissa, the chili condiment that gives the dish its character.
What are the essential ingredients of shakshouka
Shakshouka needs few ingredients, most of them already found in a Maghrebi pantry.
- Tomatoes
- Pepper
- Onion and garlic
- Cumin and sweet paprika
- Harissa
- Eggs
What to know about the shakshouka
Shakshouka is a dish from the Maghreb, born first in Tunisia, made of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes and bell pepper. Onion, garlic, cumin, sweet paprika and harissa season the sauce. Its name means mixture in Tunisian and Algerian Arabic dialect, and it is shared straight from the pan, at breakfast or brunch. The harissa is added little by little, and everyone can add more at the table to suit their taste for heat.
Frequently asked questions about shakshouka
Is shakshouka Tunisian or Israeli?
The dish was born in the Maghreb, first and foremost in Tunisia, where the earliest written traces date back to the late nineteenth century. It joined Israeli cuisine in the mid-twentieth century, carried by the emigration of Jewish communities from Tunisia and Libya, before spreading to brunch tables around the world.
Can the heat of shakshouka be adjusted?
Yes: harissa can be added gradually, half a teaspoon at a time. Children or sensitive palates can skip it and stick to the cumin and sweet paprika, then add harissa at the table for other guests.
Where can I find the ingredients for shakshouka in France?
NKOSI sells the ground cumin, sweet paprika, ground coriander and harissa that make up shakshouka, and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
