Letters from Tunisia
Dear ones,
The recent trip to Tunisia has been an affluent abundance of rawness, authenticity, hospitality, philoxenia, textures, flavors and scents.
The authenticity of the character of its people and the traditions are still vivid. The crafts and the traditional arts still alive and prominent in the folk culture and the everyday life of the people.
The food minimal, local and seasonal. Whatever the season, the local terroir and climate has to offer.
Seasonal vegetables of the summer; tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onions. For the meat-lovers chicken and lamp, the animals grown in the region. Eggs.
Local olive oil and olives. Almonds to add to the sweets or accompany their tea. Minimal with respect to the abundance of the local resources and remembering the times of scarcity.
Some potatoes or sweet potatoes. The fruits of the summer like the early summer figs and the abundance of prickly pears of the cactus that can survive the drought and intense heat of the Tunisian summer and the climate of the areas around the Desert.
Transforming the fresh fruit to fruit preserves like jam and confiture to avoid spoilage. The dates, the superfood of the Desert, the nutritious oasis in places where resources are scarce.
Also the sweetest melons and watermelons offering a good amount of water for the daily hydration during the intensely hot days.
The tea as a welcome drink of the guests arriving at a family’s home. Made with mountain rosemary and zaatar (a thyme-like herb) collected from the nearby mountains, wildly grown. The richness of the region and the gifts of the earth to her people. Accompanied by bread, some honey, local olive oil and bsisa, a mix of finely ground grains and local spices with olive oil to make a very nutritious paste something like a spiced tahini condiment. Sometimes with added sugar or honey especially when served as breakfast.
The sand – bread
The bread of the Sahara Desert – the sand bread – the bread of the Bedouins. The staple food that has been ensuring the survival of the people of the desert while on the move along with the dates and the water. Humans bow in awe to the majesty of nature and the natural elements and they are adjusting to the conditions. Finding ways to bake with no oven and no other utensils, in the middle of the Desert. Minimal. In the hot sand. Creating the fire with the wood they find in the desert from roots to dry branches and twigs or trimmed parts of the date palms.
Organic material turned into coal.
Cooking and Gathering around the fire.
Connecting like one, in community, singing songs, drawing in the sand, playing games with what nature has to offer. The bare minimum. Appreciating what there is. In a sustainable way and in connection with nature. These times when humans position themselves as part of the large ecosystem and not as barons. They are so humble and in awe with the magnitude of the elements and they can create so much beauty. Living a life deeply intertwined with nature. The one helping the other in a dynamic and balanced ecosystem.
“There is beauty in the Desert // There is the Sun // There is the breeze and the fresh wind // There are the Stars at night and the milkyway // The Air is fresh and it is calm and quiet...”
The community and the connection. The making of food in community and in union. Consciously and mindfully. Around the fire – the Estia – the centre of a home of a community where the fire is burning and the food is cooking. Where there is warmth and there is human connection.
The retreat
This experience came at the right moment when preparing in mind and spirit for the upcoming retreat in Greece at the end of September.
Apart from the activities like body movement, breathwork and ceremonies like cacao ceremony, this is one of a few retreats where foods is taking a special place in the program and the daily nutrition is especially designed to match the daily activities at the retreat.
I am preparing a program with conscious food experiences, mindful cooking, preparing food in community and treating food as one of the main elements that support our bodies, soul and the community.
There will be local and seasonal food especially curated by me according to the practices of each day and the parts we will be working on.
There will be food workshops where I am going to guide you through a mindful food preparation giving special attention to the ingredients, and the process of their transformation to the final product. Paying attention to the textures, the transformation of the organic matter, to the emotions and energy we transfer to the food we are going to consume. What we prepare mindfully and collectively we are also going to consume in community and in togetherness.
We are going to gather around the fire and by the sea, to prepare the food and tell stories. Share experiences and memories. Talk about one of the most important resources we have and what it does to our bodies and soul.
Learn more about it via the link below.
Looking forward to see you there!
