Shakshouka or shakshuka (Arabic: شكشوكة) is a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, often spiced with cumin. In its present egg and vegetable-based form it is of Libyan, Egyptian, Tunisian, Algerian and Moroccan origin, and is now popular among many ethnic groups of the Middle East and North Africa.
Shakshouka means "a mixture" in Egyptian Arabic, Tunisian Arabic and Libyan Arabic. Some believe that it was first known as chakchouka, a Berber word meaning a vegetable ragout, Another belief is that it hails from the Yemen where it is served with a dollop of zhoug, a fiery, green paste that brings tears to the eyes.
Chakchouk is also a very common surname in Tunisia.
Shakshouka is a staple of Libyan, Egyptian, Tunisian, Algerian, Moroccan, cuisines, traditionally served in a cast iron pan or tajine as in Morocco with bread to mop up the sauce. It is also popular in Israel, where it was introduced by Libyan Jews and Tunisian Jews, tens of thousands of whom immigrated to Israel during the 1950s.