Harissa is a hot North African paste of dried red chillies pounded with garlic, caraway, coriander seed, salt and olive oil. It is Tunisia's national condiment and a UNESCO-listed tradition.
What it is¶
Harissa is a thick, brick-red paste made by pounding rehydrated dried red chillies with garlic, caraway, coriander seed, salt and olive oil. In Tunisia it is on every table: as a dip with bread and olive oil, stirred into couscous and soups, spread inside sandwiches, and cooked into sauces. The word comes from the Arabic root h-r-s, "to pound" or "to crush". In 2022 UNESCO inscribed "harissa, knowledge, skills and culinary and social practices" on its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as a Tunisian tradition.
Origins¶
Like every chilli dish outside the Americas, harissa post-dates the sixteenth century. Chillies probably reached Tunisia through Spanish and Ottoman contacts; the Spanish occupation of Tunis in the mid-sixteenth century is often cited, though the route is not documented. Tunisia took to them wholeheartedly and is now one of the heaviest chilli-eating countries in the Mediterranean.
Traditionally, harissa was a summer household task: chillies, including the long local baklouti and the hotter Nabeul varieties, were harvested, sun-dried on flat roofs and in courtyards, then pounded in large quantities with spices and stored in jars under oil for the year. The Cap Bon peninsula around Nabeul remains the centre of chilli growing and of commercial harissa, and the tubes and tins sold worldwide are mostly Tunisian.
What goes in it¶
| Component | Role |
|---|---|
| Dried red chillies | The body and heat; Tunisian baklouti, or a mix of mild and hot dried chillies |
| Garlic | Pungency |
| Caraway | The signature Tunisian note, warm and slightly anise-like |
| Coriander seed | Citrusy, floral warmth |
| Salt | Seasoning and preservation |
| Olive oil | Binding and a protective top layer |
| Cumin, dried mint, lemon, tomato, roasted pepper (optional) | Regional and modern additions |
Flavour¶
Hot, earthy and faintly smoky, with a warm caraway-and-coriander aroma behind the chilli. Good harissa tastes of dried chilli fruit rather than of pure heat. Commercial tube harissa is often sharper and thinner, and some brands are much hotter than homemade; always taste a small amount first.
How to use it¶
- At the table: a spoonful in a saucer, drizzled with olive oil, to scoop with bread.
- Lablabi: the Tunisian chickpea and bread soup, seasoned with harissa, cumin and a raw egg.
- Couscous: stirred into the broth of fish or lamb couscous.
- Shakshuka and eggs: Tunisian shakshouka and ojja (with merguez and eggs) are built on harissa.
- Marinades and rubs: with oil and lemon for lamb, chicken and roast vegetables.
- Mixed: into yoghurt, mayonnaise or butter as a quick sauce.
Making it at home¶
About 250 g · 30 minutes, plus 30 minutes soaking
You need
- 60 g dried red chillies (e.g. a mix of 40 g mild guajillo or New Mexico and 20 g hotter chile de árbol, or Tunisian baklouti if available)
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds (optional)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus more to cover
Method
- Remove the stems and most of the seeds from the chillies. Soak in hot water for 30 minutes until soft, then drain, keeping a little of the soaking water.
- Toast the caraway, coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, then grind.
- Pound or blend the garlic with the salt, add the drained chillies and ground spices, and work to a thick paste, adding a spoonful of soaking water only if needed.
- Work in the lemon juice and olive oil.
- Pack into a clean jar, level the surface and cover with a thin layer of oil.
Variations¶
- Rose harissa: dried rose petals or rosewater added, a Moroccan-inspired style popularised in Britain and elsewhere in the 2000s; noticeably milder and more fragrant.
- Harissa arbi: the Tunisian household style with sun-dried chillies and caraway only.
- With roasted peppers or tomato: softer and sweeter, closer to a sauce.
- Green harissa: a modern paste of green chillies and herbs, related more to zhoug.
- Smoked harissa: using chipotle or smoked paprika for part of the chilli.
Buying and storing¶
Keep harissa in the fridge in a clean jar, always covered by a film of oil and scooped with a clean spoon; topped up this way it keeps about a month. Opened tubes and tins also belong in the fridge. Harissa freezes well in small portions. It contains raw garlic under oil, so do not store homemade harissa at room temperature.
💡 Taming the heat
If a batch is too fierce, stir in a roasted red pepper or a spoonful of tomato purée. Removing the seeds and pale ribs before soaking also lowers the heat considerably; see capsaicin.