Ideas for a Tunisian Themed Football Party
The
Maghreb region of northern Africa includes
Algeria,
Morocco,
Tunisia and
Libya,
and all include certain common cultural influences. In fact, at one stage the first three were
one nation. For the sake of throwing a great party, I hope nobody will take offence if we "blur the boundaries" a little...
Tunisia has a rich cultural history. The first known inhabitants were the Berber tribesmen. The city of Carthage was founded by Phoenician and Cypriot settlers and was a major power in the Mediterranean,
before it was conquered by the Romans in 149BC. Later, Arab invaders brought their culture and Islam, the Spanish frequently raided the coastal towns, and the Ottoman Turks eventually
took control of the country, but allowed it to enjoy a great deal of independence. In the 19th century Tunisia was invaded by the French and remained under their control until it regained its independence in
1956. Each of the invading civilisations, along with neighbouring states, has left behind a little of their culture and cuisine.
Tunisia Party Decorations
Decorate yourself and your room with Tunisian shirts, flags and scarves (see links, right).
If you're serving food, search for white or red table covers, napkins, plates, cups and
cutlery on our general
Football Party Decorations Page
For bunting, flags, balloons and more
Tunisian Party Decorations Ideas,
visit our
African Football Party Decorations Page
As for colour schemes, in addition to the above ideas, anything else you can find in white or red will help create the right atmosphere.
Food for a Tunisian Themed Party
Tunisian cuisine is tasty and spicy, certainly spicier than that of nearby
Libya, so probably closer to that of
Morocco.
Key ingredients in Tunisian cooking are tomatoes, onions, peppers, olives, citrus fruits, dates and spices such as garlic, caraway, cumin, coriander, chillies, ginger
and black pepper, and herbs such as coriander, parsley, mint and bay leaves. Couscous is regarded as the national dish and eaten frequently; so central is couscous to Tunisian cuisine
that a dish would be described as "couscous with chicken" or "couscous with fish", rather than the other way around.
Eggs and fresh local vegetables are used in abundance, and the dish Chakchouka
or shakshouka is as popular here as it is in neighbouring Algeria and Libya.
When meat is eaten, lamb, mutton and chicken are the most available and affordable options, and thanks to their extensive Mediterranean coastline Tunisians enjoy an abundance
of seafood, especially tuna, sardines, squid, anchovies and red snapper.
Thanks in part to their shared history with France and Turkey, Tunisians enjoy sweet pastries, and thanks to their long-standing trade with Italy, pasta is popular too.
Harissa
, a spicy red condiment made from red chillies, garlic and other spices, is used extensively
in Tunisian cooking, and is pretty much an essential ingredient if you want to throw an authentic Tunisian party.
Try some of these next time Tunisia are playing:
Starters
Lablabi - Tunisian Chick Pea Soup
Tunisian Grilled Spiced Prawns
Main Courses
Chakchouka - Ratatouille Style Vegetables with Egg
Tunisian Fish with Harissa and Olives
Tunisian Spicy Grilled Chicken
Drink for a Tunisia Themed Party
The most popular drinks are coffee and
Green Tea with Mint
. Mineral water and
fruit juice are also popular drinks with meals. Although a Muslim country, Tunisia does produce some good red and white wines and one brand of beer -
Celtia, but neither the wine nor the beer is easy
to track down outside the country.
Theming your Tunisian party
Here are some photos of a Moroccan party we threw. The design ideas are largely suitable for a Tunisian party too.
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Deck the room out with lots of fabrics - hang some from the ceiling or drape them across the room from curtain poles etc.
Colours can be any "'warm" colours, e.g. golds, reds, oranges, browns, purples. Use some to decorate the table as well.
Click the picture (left) for larger image.
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Decorate the table with lots of candles and glass objects that will reflect the candle light - coloured glass candle holders (even jam jars painted red and gold)
really help to create a good atmosphere.
Click the picture (left) for larger image.
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