This unusual text is a a checklist of foods consumed by the Jewish Community of Tunis. The title page may be translated as follows:
“And you shall cook and eat” [Deuteronomy16.7]
This book includes all types of foods. It is appropriate for rich and poor, for holidays and other days. The author of this book is F. I.
On sale at [the shop of] Abraham de Hai Hatchwell
No. 4 Sidi Khalaf Road
TUNIS
Press of Jacob Hagège 19 rue de Lattre
Copyright Reserved
There is no hint as to the identity of the author, other than his initials. The title page constitutes page 1.
Page 2 is an advertisement for book on sale at the Tunisian Bookstore, and is not reproduced here. Pages 3 on contain the lists, and I have transcribed them here.
Even though in the 1970s I was privileged to enjoy Tunisian Jewish cuisine in Sousse, cooked amazingly entirely on a single Bunsen-type gas burner, I would not venture to translate this text, since I feel it needs someone familiar with these items who might translate and annotate or explain them. I hope someone will come forward to do so; it would be an interesting contribution to the Jewish sociology of North Africa.
Go to image of Title Page of Text 288
Go to Arabic of Text 288