Bishwaya Bishwaya

Les Grottes at sunset

Exploring the Tunis Belvedere Park Zoo

Since I used this Arabic word in my blog title, I thought maybe I should explain what it means. Basically it means little by little, or slowly over time. It’s a common phrase here and one I picked up quickly because it’s fitting in so many scenarios.

“How’s your Arabic coming?” “Oh, bishwaya, bishwaya!”

Behold, my favorite of all Tunisian dishes, my top choice at restaurants, and a dish I’ve made multiple times at home--Ojja. 

Can you sense my excitement?

Ojja (pronounced with a soft ‘j’ sound) begins like every other Tunisian dish--with harissa, olive oil, and tomato paste. There’s also usually hot peppers, onions, olives, and merguez (a kind of spicy sausage meat), with a soft egg on top and baguettes on the side. 

It’s a commonly known fact that Tunisians don’t need spoons; they have hobbes (bread), and I quickly adapted to this motto. Whether it’s soup or ojja or lablabi (coming soon!), ditch the spoon and use a hunk of bread to scoop or sop it up, trust me!