Kokova Magazine

Join me as I recap my time in Tunisia, having spent five days discovering the delights on offer, and joining a team of chefs for a 'Great Tunisian Influenced Cook-Off'.

My recent trip to Tunisia saw me starting out on a flight from Gatwick - and ended three hours later at Carthage airport, in the capital Tunis. At Carthage I was collected by Chokri, my driver for the duration and started my five day adventure by spending the next two and a half hours trying to converse with this lovely family man in my awful, mostly forgotten, attempted French.

During this time of stunted communication I was driven south to Monastir, overlooking the Gulf of Hammamet. The town was so named by the Greeks during the Byzantine period after they settled and built a small monastery for the inhabitants. Ironically, my home here for the next few nights was to be the Hotel Royal Thalassa, and the word Thalassa also comes from the Greeks, meaning 'sea'. The Hotel Royal Thalassa is large and spacious, featuring an uncluttered lobby and excellent rooms, both in size and decor.

The daily buffets offered throughout the day were sumptuous. At breakfast, eggs were freshly cooked to order - you simply indicated your preference to the chef and he duly obliged - straight from the pan to your plate. For evening meals it was wonderful to be presented with the opportunity to have either octopus, shredded beef with peppers, fresh fish or king prawns, again all cooked in front of you. I have to praise both the quality and the variation of the food at Hotel Royal Thalassa. Owner Faten Zghal was often on hand, flitting in and out - and sometimes dining with guests - enabling her to make contact with clients; which for me is such an important part of the 'people business' of running a hotel. Additionally, all the staff were courteous, helpful and always smiling.

After a relaxing first night we were up and ready early for a short trip to nearby Monastir Ribat; an old fortified Muslim monastery which dates back to the 8th century, and is now an Islamic museum. It houses various engraved stelae, several manuscripts, and an astrolabe. I was here primarily for an inaugural 'Cook & Share - Tunisia' event so unfortunately had no time for sightseeing.

Several chefs from around the world, including Spain, Italy, Greece, Algeria and Egypt, were invited to the event, to be grouped in to pairs to pool their knowledge and culinary skills in order to create a dish. They were to utilise local ingredients for, what could be described as, a 'Great Tunisian Influenced Cook-Off'. The chefs were paired up only moments before the 'cookathon' began so there could be no pre-planning - really stretching the capabilities of both members of each team.

Four teams would cook simultaneously, firstly selecting their vegetables, seasonings, spices and then choosing their main ingredient for the meal from the homemade refrigerator - a full-sized, ice-filled rowing boat containing prawns, octopus, kalamari, and variations of flat fish. Once all meals were completed the emphasis for the day was on sharing, so each dish was transferred into several serving bowls for us all to sample. Taking place over two days, the second day of the event was a little more frenetic on stage, including a dramatic finish as the clock counted down.

At one point I found myself sitting next to the chef from Greece, Asterios Koustoudis, and I was delighted to be able to converse with him in my native language. I am also pleased to say that the award for best dish overall was in fact won by Asterios, making me very proud and giving me more Greek things to espouse about.

My third day was spent partially at a souk; the equivalent of a bazaar/market place. Bartering is the order of the day and generally prices initially quoted are ridiculously high in readiness for the barter. It's great fun and if you are a strong character you can get some good deals but you do need to be firm. If you do like shopping and a bargain then find a souk and enjoy your day. In the evening we were all brought together in the outdoor pool area of the Hotel Royal Thalassa for a social event comprising of great food and live music.

Travelling back to Carthage we stopped for lunch in Sidi Bou Said, a town in northern Tunisia located about 20 km from the capital, Tunis. This is a small, hilly town overlooking the marina, sporting white and blue buildings very much in a Greek island fashion. I absolutely loved this place the first time I visited on a previous stay. Sidi Bou Said is an affluent part of Tunisia but the shops and the picturesque buildings do attract many tourists.

On this visit I dined at the Dar Zarrouk, along with Chokri, and Sonia from the Tunisian Tourist Board. This is a far more expensive restaurant than usual - in fact, only tourists and wealthy locals can afford to dine here. The food is very good, as is the case all over the country but obviously the dishes at Dar Zarrouk are of a higher level in terms of both preparation and presentation. Apart from the fine food the cost of eating at Dar Zarrouk is justified also by the excellent views of the marina, the beach, and the presidential palace. It is worth investing in this dining experience at least once during your visit, and I would imagine that with the view an evening meal here can be quite romantic.

Lunch dispensed with, it was on to the ruins at Carthage. This UNESCO heritage site has a place in the top 10 tourist attractions in Tunisia, which really comes as no surprise. The old town was captured by the Romans in 146 BC then left to decay. It still retains many recognisable aspects of its original structure, such as the ancient baths, villas, and an amphitheatre. Perhaps I was simply fortunate enough to be there on a day when there were not many tourists but the peace and tranquillity there was very calming. I could very easily erect a folding chair and sit overlooking the ruins, simultaneously looking out into the Gulf of Tunis.

In the evening I stayed back in Carthage in readiness for the flight home the following day. My residence for the evening was at the aesthetically excellent Carthage Thallaso Hotel, a 5-star resort with a reception area the size of which resembled a shopping city. My suite was more than adequate. The food however had to compete with the Hotel Thallassa in Monastir and fell just short in respect of the number of choices available. Other than this the hotel was again marvellous and what I have come to expect from Tunisia during my stay.

As I was taken to the airport for my flight home I was made aware of the most puzzling fact: the outlets, including the duty free shop at Tunis-Carthage airport, accept Euros, Sterling and US Dollars. They DO NOT however accept Tunisian Dinars. Strange but true - so bear this in mind and spend your local currency before you get to the airport.

Tunisia is a predominantly Muslim country, which is growing both financially and culturally with regards the manner in which they are adopting 21st century living. It is a country driven by a desire to befriend the outer world and show that its people are indeed warm, friendly and accepting. For me they are succeeding tremendously in this. This was my second visit and I found the country as enchanting this time as I did the first.

My last words regarding this country, its beautiful people and unusual yet spellbinding terrain is to quote Arnold Schwarzenegger, who once famously said in a movie, "I'll be back!"

See more pictures at https://www.flickr.com/photos/yoursourcetoday/sets/72157672931527484/with/30378185793/