Tunisian bsissa

Method

1. 1

   Toast the wheat or barley grains and the chickpeas separately in a dry frying pan until golden with a strong toasted aroma.

2. 2

   Grind the toasted grains finely with the aniseed, cumin and dried coriander in a traditional mill until you have a fine, fragrant flour.

3. 3

   Mix the resulting flour with the sugar or honey in a deep bowl, stirring well to spread the sweetness evenly.

4. 4

   Add the olive oil gradually, kneading by hand, until the mixture holds together and can be shaped without becoming a stiff dough.

5. 5

   Serve the bsissa dry, by the spoonful, or shaped into small balls. This energy-rich heritage food is a traditional gift at weddings and births, and one of the oldest travel provisions of Tunisian cuisine, with its Amazigh roots.