Shakshouka
A Maghrebi dish of poached eggs in spiced tomato sauce.
Across North Africa and the Middle East, shakshouka is a beloved dish where eggs are gently poached in a spiced sauce. This Maghrebi staple combines tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion, and garlic, often seasoned with cumin, paprika, and cayenne.
Quick Facts
- Main ingredients
- Tomatoes
- olive oil
- peppers
- onion
- garlic
- spices
- Place of origin
- Ottoman North Africa
Facts from the source article.
Etymology
The word shakshuka derives from a term for 'mixture' in Algerian Arabic and 'mixed' in Tunisian Arabic. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the English word to multiple origins: an onomatopoeic Maghribi Arabic term related to the verb shakshaka, meaning 'to bubble, to sizzle, to be mixed up, to be beaten together', and the French word Chakchouka, borrowed into English in the nineteenth century from Algerian Arabic.
History
Gil Marks has suggested that shakshouka evolved from şakşuka, which spread to the Maghreb through Ottoman influence, noting similarities with the Ottoman dish menemen. Anthony Buccini observed similarities among a wider range of vegetable stews, and he and Noam Sienna concluded that shakshouka, menemen, piperade, and ratatouille belong to a family of vegetable stews with common ancestry across the western Mediterranean. The dish was brought to Israel by Maghrebi Jews migrating in the 1950s and was not previously part of Palestinian or Levantine cuisine; it began appearing in Israeli restaurants in the 1990s.
Variations
Many variations of the basic sauce exist, differing in spice and sweetness. Some cooks add preserved lemon, salty sheep milk cheeses, olives, harissa, or a spicy sausage such as chorizo or merguez. Eggs are commonly poached but can also be scrambled, as in Turkish menemen. In Algeria, shakshouka is often eaten as a side dish with countless variations, including hmiss, which features grilled peppers, tomatoes, and garlic and is served with kesra bread. Tunisia has a similar dish called slata meshouia, which adds onions, cumin, and tuna. In Syria, jaz maz is a similar eggs-and-tomatoes dish sometimes called shakshouka. Morocco has bīḍ w-maṭiša ('egg and tomato'). Egyptian shakshouka includes sautéed onions, garlic, and bell peppers, with tomatoes or tomato paste, spices like cumin, paprika, and chili powder, and is garnished with parsley, cilantro, or domiati cheese, eaten with eish baladi. Some versions use lamb mince, toasted whole spices, yogurt, and fresh herbs. Tunisian cooks may add potatoes, broad beans, artichoke hearts, or courgettes. The North African dish matbukha can serve as a base. Though often a breakfast item in English-speaking countries, in the Arab world and Israel it is also a popular evening meal, served with pickled vegetables, merguez, bread, or mint tea.
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