The 'gift' of Tunisia's delicate date palm drink

GABES, Tunisia - As soon as the sun is up, people in southern Tunisia rush out to buy a glass or bottle of legmi, a coveted date palm drink that is too delicate to be sold far from the oasis.

At 7 am, at the busy Ain Slam roundabout in the center of the coastal city of Gabes, bicycles, cars and military vehicles are clustered around three men seated on plastic chairs.

Next to them are jugs brimming with the precious juice, a testament to the Gabes saying: "Even if the legmi attracts mosquitoes, people will stick around."