The practice of oula in Tunisia: an ancestral culinary tradition still very much alive
In the rural areas of Tunisia, an ancestral culinary practice called the oula continues to be perpetuated. This is the artisanal preparation of food reserves based on wheat, harissa and canned tomatoes, generally made at the beginning and end of summer. This tradition, long seen as a way to meet household food needs throughout the year, has also become a source of income for many women affected by the economic crisis.
In the coastal town of Kelibia, women gather in the courtyard of a house to sell products from their oula practice. Among them, Rihem, a 30-year-old stay-at-home mother, proudly offers her sun-dried tomatoes, harissa and homemade tomato sauce, all prepared with care. However, she is facing increasing difficulties, particularly due to inflation which is affecting the supply of essential ingredients such as chillies.
Sarra Ben Arbia, a resident of Menzel Temim, a town near Kelibia, comes from a family of farmers and considers oula both as a family tradition and as a business to develop. She launched her own brand two years ago and offers products from the oula with traceability, intended for families who no longer have the time to prepare these food reserves themselves. She also wants to encourage other women to follow this path and to promote this artisanal and health-beneficial culinary know-how.
The oula, much more than a simple culinary practice, is of economic and social importance. In addition to guaranteeing food autonomy for families, it helps to develop a local economy based on the sale of these traditional products. The enthusiasm for the oula can also be perceived as a desire to reconnect with traditions and preserve a precious cultural heritage.
It is important to emphasize that the oula is not just a matter of housewives. More and more women are working to promote this practice and make it a real business, thus contributing to the economic empowerment of rural women in Tunisia.
The oula, an ancestral culinary tradition still very much alive in Tunisia, represents much more than a simple method of preserving food. It embodies the resilience of rural communities in the face of the economic crisis, the desire to preserve traditions and artisanal culinary know-how, as well as the potential for local economic development