Lamta to Host 25th Edition of the Festival of Traditional Tunisian Cuisine
From Thursday, May 14 to Sunday, May 17, 2026, the city of Lamta in the Monastir governorate will come alive with the 25th edition of the Festival of Traditional Tunisian Cuisine, earning the title of Capital of Traditional Tunisian Gastronomy.
The festival will feature national Bsissa competitions, scientific colloquia, and cultural parades, showcasing the rich traditional Maghrebi heritage. Algeria and Libya will be honored guests at the event. The festivities will kick off on Thursday with the installation of large exhibition spaces within the Ribat of Lamta.
This year's edition of the festival is distinguished by the presence of honored guests from across the region, including the artisanal group "Sett Nefissa" for Jebiniana weaving, the Algerian association "El Messai El Khayria" to promote Algerian culinary and material heritage, and the Libyan association of productive families from Al-Haraba.
In the afternoon, the Ribat will come alive with live workshops dedicated to preparing Bsissa, working with wool, and making sieves, accompanied by a traditional fashion parade and a musical performance by the troupe "Nasayem" for Malouf and heritage.
On Friday, May 15, the academic program will launch with the scientific colloquium "Ports, Amphorae, and Clean Environment." Directed by Dr. Habib Salha, this event is organized in partnership with the University of Manouba, the Laboratory of Maghrebi Francophone Comparative Studies and Cultural Communication, the Association for the Preservation of the Medina, and the Lamta Culture House.
In parallel, the Lamta municipality will host a second scientific seminar led by the Monastir Regional Delegation of Artisanal Crafts. The seminar will focus on transitioning traditional products to established commercial brands. The Lamta Culture House will also host the event "The Art of Mosaics: Heritage and Architecture," combining conferences, exhibitions, practical workshops, and competitions.
The weekend will continue this cultural and scientific dynamic. On Saturday, May 16, the colloquium on the environment will continue, along with the artisanal fairs and the holding of an architectural debate titled "Face and Facade" led by Fakher Kharrat, a professor at the National School of Architecture and Urban Planning.
The competition will intensify with the 4th edition of the "Golden Spoon" competition, rewarding the best Bsissa sales point in Lamta. The event will be followed by the grand cultural and tourist parade "Lamta Carnival" and the day will close with the welcome of the health circuit "The Bsissa Path: From Ruspina to Leptis" and a concert by the artist Hichem Sallem on the Arts Square.
On the closing day, Sunday, May 17, the culinary highlight will be the national competition for the best Bsissa in the Republic, organized at the municipality in partnership with the Zouhair Kallel Nutrition Institute. The competition will be followed by an inter-regional competition involving the 24 governorates of the country. After the final live workshops and the announcement of the mosaics competition winners, the festival will close in the afternoon with the award ceremony and tribute to the participants.
It is worth noting that, in addition to this rich program, the festival will deploy several parallel events of significant scope. Visitors will be able to follow the 12th edition of the Leptis Image and Heritage Meetings, which will feature a photography competition on the theme "Heritage and Architecture" and a competition for the best promotional film on Lamta architecture. In parallel, the Monastir Regional Health Directorate will fully associate itself with the event by organizing a public health day focused on detecting chronic diseases, combining culture, heritage preservation, and social well-being.
