Lablabi

Lablabi is chickpeas simmered in a cumin-and-harissa broth, poured over stale bread and topped with a soft egg. It's Tunis's breakfast soup, sold from street carts before sunrise to workers who need something hot, cheap and filling before the day starts.

What it actually is

Chickpeas, simmered until soft in their own broth with garlic and cumin, are ladled hot over a bowl of torn, stale bread, which the broth softens on contact. A spoonful of harissa goes in for heat, along with a drizzle of olive oil, and a soft-boiled or poached egg sits on top, breaking into the bowl as it's eaten.

Every part of the bowl is built to be adjusted at the table — more harissa, more cumin, a squeeze of lemon, a scattering of capers or olives — so the same base broth ends up different in almost every bowl served.

How it's served

• Very hot, poured over bread already in the bowl, egg placed on top last.
• With harissa, cumin, olive oil, capers and preserved lemon on the table for guests to add themselves.
• Early in the day, traditionally a breakfast or pre-dawn dish rather than a dinner course.

Writing it on a menu

• Flag egg and gluten; the poached egg and stale bread are both standard, not optional.
• Say if tuna is offered as an add-on, since it's a common but not universal topping and changes the allergen picture.
• Mention that the dish is meant to be customized at the table; a bowl of condiments alongside is part of how it's properly served, not a garnish afterthought.
• Note that it's traditionally an early, inexpensive dish; pricing and portion expectations should reflect that history if positioned as a starter rather than a feature dish.