Harissa (, from

Maghrebi Arabic Maghrebi Arabic, often known as ''ad-Dārija'' to differentiate it from Literary Arabic, is a vernacular Arabic dialect continuum spoken in the Maghreb. It includes the Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, Libyan, Hassaniya and Saharan Arabic di ...

) is a hot chili pepper paste, native to the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb al ...

. The main ingredients are

roasted Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizat ...

red peppers ''Red Peppers'', described as "an interlude with music", is a short comic play in two scenes by Noël Coward. It is one of ten short plays that make up ''Tonight at 8.30'', a cycle written to be performed in groups of three plays across three e ...

Baklouti pepper The Baklouti pepper () is a cultivar of the chili pepper (''Capsicum annuum'') found in Tunisia. It is the main ingredient in harissa, a common sauce in Tunisian cuisine Tunisian cuisine, the cuisine of Tunisia, consists of the cooking tradit ...

s (),

spices In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...

and

herbs Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnish (food), garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typi ...

such as

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

paste,

caraway Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin (''Carum carvi''), is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Etymology The etymology of "caraway" is unclear. Caraway has been ...

seeds,

coriander Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual plant, annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the ...

seeds,

cumin Cumin (, ; ; ''Cuminum cyminum'') is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to the Irano-Turanian Region. Its seeds – each one contained within a fruit, which is dried – are used in the cuisines of many cultures in both whole ...

and

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

oil to carry the oil-soluble flavors.

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

is the biggest exporter of prepared harissa and

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

lists it as part of Tunisia's

Intangible Cultural Heritage An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. In ...

. The origin of harissa goes back to the importation of chili peppers into Maghrebian cuisine by the

Columbian exchange The Columbian exchange, also known as the Columbian interchange, was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the New World (the Americas) in the Western Hemisphere, and the Old World (Afro-Eurasia) in the Eastern Hemis ...

, presumably during the Spanish occupation of

Ottoman Tunisia Ottoman Tunisia, also known as the Regency of Tunis, refers to a territory of Ottoman Empire that existed from the 16th to 19th century in what is largely modern-day Tunisia. During the period of Ottoman Rule, Tunis was administratively inte ...

between

1535 Year 1535 ( MDXXXV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 18 – Lima, now the capital of Peru, is founded by Francisco Pizarro, as '' Ciudad de los Reyes''. * January 21 & ...

and

1574 __NOTOC__ Year 1574 ( MDLXXIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 22 – Mohammed II becomes the new Sultan of Morocco upon the death of his father, Abdallah al-Ghal ...

Etymology

The word derives from the Arabic root () 'to pound, to break into pieces', referring to pounding chilis, a tool traditionally used to make the paste in the Maghreb is called , and similar names are used for other pastes in the Maghrebi cuisine, such as "Hrous" which uses the same harissa recipe with a slight difference in the peppers, which are green.

Consumption and culinary traditions

Algeria

In Algeria, harissa is commonly added to soups, stews, and couscous. Harissa paste can also be used as a rub for meat or

eggplant Eggplant (American English, US, Canadian English, CA, Australian English, AU, Philippine English, PH), aubergine (British English, UK, Hiberno English, IE, New Zealand English, NZ), brinjal (Indian English, IN, Singapore English, SG, Malays ...

s. Another significant producer is Algeria's

Annaba Province Annaba () is a province ('' wilaya'') in the north-eastern corner of Algeria. Its capital, Annaba, is Algeria's main port for mineral exports. History In 1984 El Taref Province was carved out from its territory. Administrative divisions The ...

, which is also a significant consumer. According to cookbook author

Martha Rose Shulman Martha Rose Shulman is an American cookbook author, cooking teacher and food columnist for ''The New York Times''. Biography Shulman has been writing healthy food cookbooks for over 30 years since the 1970s. She pulls most of her recipes from Medi ...

, premade harissa tastes rather different from that which is served in Tunisian and

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. The term often refers to a professional, skilled worker, or student from an affluent country. However, it may also refer to retirees, artists and ...

restaurants.

Israel and Libya

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, harissa is a common topping for ''

sabich Sabich or sabih ( ) is a sandwich of pita or laffa bread stuffed with fried eggplants, hard-boiled eggs, chopped salad, parsley, Amba (condiment), amba and tahini sauce. It first appeared in Ramat Gan in Israel in the 1960s. Its ingredients a ...

'' and ''

shawarma Shawarma (; ) is a Middle Eastern dish that originated in the Levant during the Ottoman Empire, consisting of meat that is cut into thin slices, stacked in an inverted cone, and roasted on a slow-turning vertical spit. Traditionally made with l ...

''. Filfel chuma (), also spelled pilpelshuma, literally "pepper garlic", is the typical

chili sauce Chili sauce and chili paste are condiments prepared with chili peppers. Chili sauce may be hot, sweet or a combination thereof, and may differ from hot sauce in that many sweet or mild varieties exist, which is typically lacking in hot sauce ...

of Libyan Jewish cuisine which is very similar to the harissa.Gur, Jana; (et al.) (2007)
''The Book of New Israeli Food: A Culinary Journey''
Schocken Books. pg. 295. It comes from

Libyan cuisine The cuisine of Libya is a mix of Berber cuisine, Berber, Arab cuisine, Arab and Mediterranean cuisine, Mediterranean cuisines One of the most popular Libyan dishes is ''Bazin (bread), bazin'', an unleavened bread prepared with barley, water an ...

, where it is known as ( or ).''How to make Libyan maseer''
/ref>
/ref> It is also known by other names such as () and ().''How to prepare mseyer in the Libyan cuisine''
/ref> It is made from powdered sweet and hot

peppers Pepper(s) may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plants ** Black pepper ** Long pepper ** Kampot pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ...

and crushed

. Other ingredients, such as ground caraway seeds,

lemon juice The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

, and salt are sometimes added. It serves as a

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...

and as an ingredient in dishes such as salads, meat, fish, legumes and rice, and egg dishes such as ''

shakshouka Shakshouka is a Maghrebi dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion, and garlic, commonly spiced with cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Shakshouka is a popular dish throughout North Africa and the Middle East. ...

''.

Morocco

Moroccan cuisine Moroccan cuisine () is the cuisine of Morocco, fueled by interactions and exchanges with many cultures and nations over the centuries. Moroccan cuisine is usually a mix of Arab cuisine, Arab, Berber cuisine, Berber, Andalusian cuisine, Andalusi, ...

has also adopted harissa, and some Moroccans use it as a side condiment for

tagine A tagine or tajine, also ''tajin'' or ''tagin'' () is a Maghrebi dish, and also the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. It is also called or . Etymology The Arabic () is derived from Ancient Greek () 'frying-pan, saucepan'. According to ...

s, or sometimes mixed into dishes. Moroccans tend to have a preference for less seasoned harissa as it allows them to incorporate it into dishes of different flavor profiles.

Tunisia

Recipes for harissa vary according to the household and region. Variations can include the addition of

fermented Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic compound, Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are Catabo ...

onions or lemon juice. Prepared harissa is sold in jars, cans, bottles and tubes. Harissa is sometimes described as "Tunisia's main condiment", even "the national condiment of Tunisia", or at least as "the hallmark of Tunisia's fish and meat dishes". In Tunisia, harissa is used as an ingredient in a meat (

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, Eggs as food, eggs or feathers. The practice of animal husbandry, raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typ ...

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...

, or lamb) or

fish stew Fish stew is a stew with a soup base or ingredient of fish as food. List Types of fish stew from around the world include: * '' Asam Pedas'' ( Indonesian) and ( Malaysian) * ''Bouillabaisse'' ( Provençal fish stew originating from Marseille, ...

with vegetables, and as a flavoring for

couscous Couscous () is a traditional North African dish a quote: “Couscous or seksu (Image 1) in Berber language or kuskus in Arabic is by origin a Numidian (the Berber population of Numidia) dish…” of small steamed granules of rolled semolina ...

. It is also used for ''

lablabi Lablabi or lablebi () is a traditional Tunisian dish based on chickpeas in a thin garlic- and cumin-flavored broth, served over small pieces of stale crusty bread. It is a staple comfort food in Tunisia and is also found in variations in Ira ...

'', a

chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual plant, annual legume of the family (biology), family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae, cultivated for its edible seeds. Its different types are variously known as gram," Bengal gram, ga ...

soup, and

fricasse A fricasse () is a savory fried pastry often filled with tuna, hard-boiled egg, olives, harissa, preserved lemons, capers and mashed potato, with turmeric as a condiment. They are usually purchased from traditional Tunisian food vendors. They ...

. Tunisia is the biggest exporter of prepared harissa. In 2006, the Tunisian production of harissa was 22,000 tonnes, incorporating about 40,000 tonnes of peppers. Tunisian harissa is often made with

s and chilis grown around

Nabeul Nabeul (; ; Tamazight: ⵏⴰⴱⴻⵍ) is a coastal town located in northeastern Tunisia, on the south coast of the Cape Bon peninsula and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on both sides. It is the first seaside resort in Tunisia. It is know ...

and

Gabès Gabès (, ; ), also spelled Cabès, Cabes, and Kabes, is the capital of the Gabès Governorate in Tunisia. Situated on the coast of the Gulf of Gabès, the city has a population of 167,863, making it the 6th largest city in Tunisia. Located 327 ...

, which are relatively mild, scoring 4,000–5,000 on the

Scoville scale The Scoville scale is a measurement of spiciness of chili peppers and other substances, recorded in Scoville heat units (SHU). It is based on the concentration of capsaicinoids, among which capsaicin is the predominant component. The scale ...

. On December 1, 2022,

added "Harissa, knowledge, skills and culinary and social practices" as part of Tunisia's

References

{{Cuisine of Tunisia African cuisine Tunisian cuisine Herb and spice mixtures Algerian cuisine Arab cuisine Chili paste Libyan cuisine Mediterranean cuisine Mizrahi Jewish cuisine Sephardi Jewish cuisine