Face on Tunisia: Ilyes Ziadi

Ilyes Ziadi, Tunisian Tour Guide

I’ve traveled throughout Tunisia many times and amongst all the treasures I’ve discovered during those magical journeys, the best is our tour guide, Ilyes Ziadi. Ilyes opened my eyes to the history, cuisine and culture of Tunisia and did so with the grace and good humor of a true professional.

One evening, our trade mission tour had eaten quite late after a long day of sightseeing and travel. When we finished our meal, we noticed the tour bus had left. Most of us still had luggage and computers aboard. Within a few minutes, Ilyes had the bus and driver at the ready outside the hotel. I think his reply after he realized we needed the bus back was a simple, “No problem.”

Ilyes became a professional guide after years of education and training. After secondary school he studied “tourist entertainment” for three years, and then worked for one year and six months as an apprentice in two different resort hotels.

After his internship, he spent two years at the Tourism Information center in Hammamet, part of Tunisia’s National Tourism office, before receiving his tour guide diploma and identification card. He is certified in and speaks and writes fluent French, English, German, Italian, and Arabic.

If you need a guide on your next trip to Tunisia, I recommend Ilyes Ziadi.(Send me a note or leave a comment and I’ll send you his email address.) Ilyes is available for large or small tours, trade missions, and individual excursions throughout Tunisia. He’s one of those fortunate people who really loves his work.

Anuga: Taste the Future

I’ve just returned from Anuga in Cologne, Germany where more than 6,500 exhibitors and nearly 150,000 trade visitors gathered from around the world to get inspiration, ideas and innovations.

Anuga (October 10 -12) is not only the largest food and beverage fair in the world; it´s also the sector´s most important fair for new markets and target groups. It´s the perfect venue for all the latest trends and themes – and a great place to make first-rate contacts and business deals.

Face on Tunisia: Sarah Mays

Sarah Mays participated in the May 2011 Trade Mission to explore Tunisian olive oil for Zingerman’s Road House back home. She visited Tunisia once before and stayed for a month in order to study each region’s cuisine. When asked where she learned her flawless French, she replied that she watched Canada’s French version of Sesame Street while growing up.

Tunisia: Open for Business

With its democratic election just around the corner, Tunisians are embracing their country’s role as an important player in the Mediterraneane and the global economy.  They want you to know that Tunisia is open for business.

I have no doubt that Tunisia’s future will be brighter if it is guided by the voices of the Tunisian people. – U.S. President Barack Obama

 

Four Reasons I’ll Be Having Salad with Tunisian Olive Oil Dressing for Lunch

Last week, Live Gourmet’s Lettuce Be Fresh blog shared a recipe Butter Lettuce Salad with Oranges and Red Onion Dressing that featured Tunisian olive oil.  The California family owned and operated corporation specializes in hydroponic, greenhouse-grown vegetables.  With that much care put into the ingredients of the salad, they wouldn’t recommend drizzling it in a dressing unless that dressing’s ingredients were of equal quality.

But just in case taste was not enough reason to make the Butter Lettuce Salad with Oranges and Red Onion Dressing for lunch, some scientists from Spain gave me three more.

Three recent studies out of Spain conclude that the consumption of olive oil:

1. Blocks the generation of cancerous tissue

2 .Contributes to stopping cancer.

3. Increases longevity

But more importantly, I will enjoy the tangy taste of a unique salad dressing drizzled over fresh, crisp lettuce.  That’s all the reason my stomach needs.

Tunisian Olive Oil Supply, Demand Increases

According to estimates recently released by the International Olive Council (IOC), Tunisia expects to produce 180,000 tons of olive oil for the 2011/12 crop year – a 50 percent increase from the previous year.  The noteworthy increase in Tunisian supply comes as international trade is also reported to be up 13 percent.

Saveurs Méditerranéennes SA is one of the Tunisian companies exporting its nation’s liquid gold. Located in the City of Kondar in the central Tunisia, a region well known by its wide lands of olive trees, Saveurs Méditerranéennes SA produces has two labels:

• Buongusto  – a range of quality extra virgin olive oils
• L’oliv – a variety of flavor infused extra virgin oils