Municipal Market of Mahdia, Tunisia

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Hello steemians,

I spent a morning inside the Municipal Market of Mahdia to do a full seafood run for a home charcoal feast and, because this is for Steem Atlas, I recorded exact directions, opening hours and realistic prices, converting every dinar to STEEM at a working rate of 1 DT ≈ 3 STEEM, then I cooked everything the same day so what follows is a practical, end-to-end guide rather than a photo drop.

Getting there, when to go and what to expect

The hall sits at G33C+436, Rue de Borj Othmani, Mahdia, and you can simply point a taxi or louage to the "municipal market” since drivers know the building, while those who drive will usually find casual curbside parking on the street or in the short alleys that branch from the main road, the market is open every day from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the freshest window is clearly the first three hours after opening when the boats’ catch is still shining on the ice, and the room is brightly lit, tiled and continuously hosed which makes it clean but also a little slippery so non-slip sandals are smart.

_{A quick arrival shot shows the long aisles, the tiled walls and a constant flow of local shoppers.}

First walk through the lanes and real prices you will actually pay

I always make one slow loop before buying because you see the spread of sizes and the day’s pricing on the hand-written cards, and on this visit the crab bins were tagged 10 DT per kilogram, which is roughly 30 STEEM/kg, while a counter with ready-to-cook fillets was tagged 35 DT/kg, or about 105 STEEM/kg, and another set of trays with mixed small fish for frying or grilling whole showed 21 DT/kg, about 63 STEEM/kg; larger single fish labelled as “pièces” hovered around 36 DT/kg, or 108 STEEM/kg, and the seller quoting me for lambouka (mahi-mahi) gave a straightforward 33 DT/kg price that works out to 99 STEEM/kg, a very fair number for a firm, grill-proof fish.

The cardboard tags change with weather and catch but they are a good baseline for negotiations.	These “pièces” are what you choose when you want a centerpiece fish for the grill.	Crabs around 10 DT/kg ≈ 30 STEEM/kg and fillets around 35 DT/kg ≈ 105 STEEM/kg on this morning.

What I bought and how I chose it

For the charcoal plan I picked a lambouka to be cut into three-to-four-centimeter steaks because the flesh is dense, lightly sweet and tolerant of heat, and at 33 DT/kg ≈ 99 STEEM/kg it gives a lot of portions per dinar; I asked the fishmonger to “cut for the grill” so he made clean crosswise steaks and removed the viscera while leaving the skin which helps hold the pieces together on the grate.

_{I chose a fish with bright eyes and taut skin, then had it cut into thick steaks for the braise.}

To add texture I grabbed a mix of small whole fish at about 21 DT/kg ≈ 63 STEEM/kg, perfect for a hinged grill basket where they crisp evenly without breaking when you flip, and I could not resist large prawns even though prices vary by size so I budgeted around 40 DT/kg ≈ 120 STEEM/kg and bought just over half a kilo with shells on because the carapace protects the meat from the coals.

_{Small fish give you crispy skin and quick cooking, great for feeding several people without fuss.}

Cleaning, marinating and setting up the fire

I ask for gutting and scaling at the counter since it is usually included and faster, then at home I rinse everything under very cold water, pat dry with clean towels and prepare a short, aromatic BBQ marinade that perfumes without curing: I stir together four tablespoons of olive oil, two crushed garlic cloves, one teaspoon of ground cumin and one teaspoon of ground coriander, a half-teaspoon of turmeric and a half-teaspoon of mild paprika, fine salt and black pepper to taste, and I only add the juice of half a lemon right before the lambouka hits the grill so the acid does not begin to cook the surface, I massage this gently over the steaks and the small fish, while for the prawns I mostly use oil, salt and a hint of paprika and save the lemon for the finish because shellfish tighten quickly in acid.

_{The spice mix gives a golden sheen that will deepen to bronze over hot charcoal.}

Grilling calmly and avoiding dry fish

I light a compact bed of charcoal and let it ash until it is medium-hot, then I oil the grate rather than the fish which minimizes sticking, and I cook the prawns first since they are a perfect appetizer, two to three minutes per side until the shells blush and the flesh just turns opaque, at which point a squeeze of lemon and a dusting of pepper is all they need, the small fish in the basket take four to five minutes per side until the skin is crisp and the dorsal fin pulls free, and the lambouka steaks get four to five minutes per side for a three-to-four-centimeter cut, with a short two-minute rest off the heat that keeps the juices inside and gives you clean flakes when you slide in a fork.

Keep them close together to avoid overcooking the edges while the center finishes.	A hinged basket is the easiest way to turn several delicate fish at once without tearing the skin.

Serving the Tunisian way and what the meal really costs

I plate everything with salade méchouia, roasted green chilies, good Mahdia olive oil and lemon quarters, which turns the grill into a full Tunisian table, and for transparency I kept the math in both currencies so a family platter for about five people looked like this in reality: 1.4 kg of lambouka steaks at 33 DT/kg came to roughly 46.2 DT which equals about 138.6 STEEM, 0.6 kg of large prawns at roughly 40 DT/kg came to about 24 DT which is close to 72 STEEM, 0.8 kg of small mixed fish at 21 DT/kg cost 16.8 DT which equals 50.4 STEEM, and charcoal, lemons, chilies and pantry spices added around 10 DT which is 30 STEEM, for an estimated total of about 97 DT which corresponds to roughly 291 STEEM, and that is a very competitive price for a generous seafood spread on the coast.

_{Char-kissed lambouka, crispy small fish and juicy prawns with smoky pepper salad make a complete meal.}

Practical tips, safety and why this market deserves your pin

If you follow the simple routine of arriving between seven and ten in the morning, asking vendors to “cut for the grill” when you buy large fish, checking for clear eyes and bright red gills, keeping your wallet zipped in the crowd and wearing shoes with grip because the floors are wet, you will find that the Municipal Market of Mahdia offers a reliable mix of freshness, choice and fair pricing with useful services such as gutting, scaling and even ice for the way home, and since everything you need is under one roof you can plan a market-to-barbecue circuit in under two hours and enjoy a meal that tastes like the Mediterranean without paying restaurant mark-ups.

Practical Information

Item	Details
Opening Hours	Every day, 7 AM – 5 PM
Address	G33C+436, Rue de Borj Othmani, Mahdia
Google Maps	https://maps.app.goo.gl/NU2XvmhoUYQvzq9q9
Steem Atlas	//:# (!steematlas 35.50296402 lat 11.06970191 long d3scr)
Best Time to Visit	7–10 AM (for freshness and variety)
Useful Services	Shelling/peeling, filleting, ice cubes, heavy-duty plastic bags

Best Regards,
@kouba01