The Traditional Oriental Confection “Made in Nabeul”
This traditional Oriental confection “Made in Nabeul” was, for a long time, the star of Ramadan evenings in the Beylical palaces of the last three Husainid sovereigns (Ahmed II Bey, Moncef Bey and Lamine Bey). It required horse‑drawn transport to the serails of the Bardo, Carthage or Hammam‑Lif, packed in a hermetic earthen‑ware container that is still used today.
From Béja’s “Mkharek” to Nabeul’s “Zlabia”
The mkharek (honey‑drenched donuts, usually round or elongated) are reputed to be a specialty of Béja, but zlabia—a fried pastry that sits somewhere between a cake and a candy—remains a hallmark of the city of Nabeul. It is a sweet highly recommended after a day of fasting to counter possible hypoglycaemia, and it even inspired a celebrated poem by the 9th‑century Arab poet Ibn Al‑Roumi.
Families Behind the Craft
The Slimane, Najjar, Tanouis, Machat, Hammouda families, among others, have long been the custodians of this art.
“It is no secret that the old Nabeul pastry masters—Mohamed Abdelaziz Slimane, the Tanouis family, the Machat family and the famous Abdel Kader Najar—worked with lace‑like precision to create this delicately perforated Ramadan confection, which can easily be compared to lace itself,” notes Anouar Najjar and Said Salah (the dean of pastry chefs in the City of Potters), as well as the Hammouda brothers at Dar Chaâbane El‑Fehri.
Indeed, this traditional Oriental confection “Made in Nabeul” was, for many years, the centerpiece of Ramadan soirées in the Beylical palaces of the last three Husainid rulers, requiring horse‑drawn transport to the serails of the Bardo, Carthage or Hammam‑Lif, packed in a hermetic earthen‑ware container that is still used today.
“When it came to deliveries for the Bey of Tunis and his viziers, the most renowned Nabeul ceramic factories competed in skill to produce the finest glazed earthen‑ware packages, richly historicised, illuminated and calligraphed. Sheikh Mohamed Tahar Khayati, a calligrapher in his spare time, was heavily solicited for this noble task,” explains Mohamed Rached Khayati, specialist in Nabeul heritage and member of the Association for the Safeguarding of the City of Nabeul (ASVN).
“If Nabeul’s zlabia enjoyed such aura, it is because pastry masters invested themselves in this activity typical of all Tunisia, yet never matched when it comes to pure Nabeul production.”
International Fame
Among the local pastry virtuosos, the late Abdelkader Najjar, affectionately called “Bay Gader” by most Nabeulians, ran a shop at Bab Bled, the entrance to the covered souks. He became the most emblematic figure of Nabeul’s zlabia, representing the city at numerous international events:
| Year | Exhibition | Location | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | International Colonial Exhibition | Paris | Gold Medal |
| 1934 | Second International Colonial Art Show | Naples | — |
| 1935 | World’s Fair | Brussels | — |
| 1937 | International Exhibition of “Arts and Techniques Applied to Modern Life” | — | — |
| 1938 | Commercial Fair | Lille | — |
| 1939 | International Fair | Lyon | — |
| 1926 | Sesqui‑Centennial International Exposition | Philadelphia, USA | — |
“Besides pastry, ‘Bay Gader’ also excelled in Sufi singing. Wasn’t he a member of the prestigious ‘Soulamia’ troupe of Sheikh Khemaïs Ternane in Bizerte before joining the legendary Jaghali troupe in Nabeul?” adds Mr. Khayati.
Other zlabia virtuosos left their mark on traditional pastry, such as the late Mohamed Abdel Aziz Slimane, whose boutique stood under the vaulted passage next to the Great Mosque. In addition to his manual dexterity, “Sidi Mohamed” – as his wife Lella Zakia Gastli lovingly called him – was known as a learned and erudite man.
“To fulfil the great order of the Bey, my mother said ‘Bay Gader’ Najjar asked my maternal grandfather, Mohamed Ben Abdel Aziz Slimane. At that time, pastry masters helped each other meet the Ramadan‑zlabia delivery deadlines to the Beylical serail,” recalls his granddaughter Neïla.
Saffron and Orange‑Flower Water
Beyond the Slimane and Najjar families, the Machat workshop—located on the stretch from Bab Bled to El Mahfar—and the Kaouel (Nabeulians settled in Tunis, near Bab Djedid) were also celebrated for refinement.
“However, the pioneering family in this field proudly bore the name Tanouis, a surname that has now disappeared completely due to a lack of male descendants,” states Mr. Khayati.
Today, Anouar Najjar, nephew of Abdelkader Najjar, continues the tradition each Ramadan season. The former right‑hand man of Said Salah—son of “Bay Gader”—Said Salah (82, originally from El Ferch, Ghomrassen) still hand‑crafts his sweet lace year‑round alongside other fried delights such as ftayer, bamabalounis, makroudh, and fricassés.
“What distinguishes Nabeul’s zlabia from that produced elsewhere is its base of fine semolina, flour, powdered cinnamon and turmeric (for colour),” explains Said Salah, the dean of Nabeul pastry chefs.
“Some masters, like Si Mohamed Abdelaziz Slimane, used saffron instead of turmeric to give the zlabia a brighter hue and a slightly saffron‑flavoured taste, never forgetting the orange‑flower water in the dough—that was his signature! Today we use more turmeric because saffron is expensive,” he adds.
The “Maxi Zlabia” of Pariente
There is no doubt that the City of Potters was the stronghold of zlabia in Tunisia, boasting a unique tradition of a guild composed mainly of native potters, plus a few Ghomrasni from southern Tunisia (e.g., “Am Said”).
“Nevertheless, Nabeul also had a very renowned pastry house owned by a Jewish resident named Pariente (Barinti in Arabic). He made excellent citronade among other sweets and had a storefront near the shoe‑maker ‘Martine’,” recalls Mohamed Rached Khayati.
“His zlabia was highly prized by his Muslim neighbours, who crowded his workshop‑shop recognizable by the ‘maxi zlabia’ hanging, wrapped in cellophane, above the door throughout the holy month,” he concludes.
This article was translated from French and formatted in Markdown for easy reading.
