This article is about Harissa chili pepper paste from Tunisia.
Harissa is a strong chili paste made from red chilli (Baklouti pepper) and spices.
Harissa chili paste is originally from Tunisia but it is also used in Morocco and Algeria and it’s very Popular in North African food.
There are several types of Harissa such as Harissa powder, green Harissa and Red Harissa.
Harissa origin
In 1535, Tunisia was occupied by Spain and they introduced red chili peppers.
Chili peppers became more and more popular in Tunisian cuisine and spread throughout North Africa to Mexican cuisine. The Tunisians took the chili pepper further and started making Harissa. There were several types of it.
Different types of Harissa
Harissa has several types and here are some of them.
Harissa powder
Chili powder is a mixture of spices and chili peppers that are dried and smoked. This is important in Tunisian cuisine. It’s one of the traditional spices in every Tunisian house.
Harisa powder ingredients
- Dried and smoked red Chili peppers
- Cumin seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Garlic powder
- Dried parsley
- Dried oregano
- Salt
- Caraway
Harissa powder uses
There are several uses for this spice blend. You can use it in Taco, in Tagine and as a spice for fish, meat and chicken.
How much of it you use depends on how strong you want the food.
Harissa sauce
Harissa sauce is softer than Harissa paste (puree). It has a liquidy texture.
In Tunisia it’s often used in Lablabi and sandwiches.
Harissa sauce Ingredients
- Red pepper
- Chili pepper
- Olive oil
- Caraway
- Coriander seeds
- Cumin
- Dried pepper mint
- Salt
- Garlic clove
- Lemon juice
Harissa sauce use
You can use it on pizza or hamburger. You can use it in soups and in stews. Try it on fried eggs and it also goes well as a dressing.
Green Harissa
This is more like the Italian pesto and it gained the color green from the green pepper and parsley.
Green Harissa ingredients
- Cumin seeds
- Green chili
- Olive oil
- Lemon
- Onion
- Garlic clove
- Parsley
- Green olives
- Coriander
Green Harissa uses
Green Harissa can be used as a starter with a good olive oil.
Also can be used as a dressing.
You can marinate chicken breast and meat in it so the hamburger tastes better. It also goes well with Taco.
Green Harissa vs Red
Here are the differences between green and red Harissa.
| Ingredients | Red chili | Green chili | olives | onion | Garlic | coriander | Parsley | salt | lemon | Oil |
| Red Harissa | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Green Harissa | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
The red Harissa has a longer shelf life than the green Harissa because it contains more oil.
Harissa paste amazon
Here are some of the famous Harissa products in amazon.
Harissa brands
Mina Harissa Mild Moroccan Red Pepper Sauce, 10 Oz Jar
| Flavor | Pepper |
| Brand | Mina |
| Package Information | Jar |
| Package Weight | 1.09 Kilograms |
Ingredients: Red Bell Pepper, Red Chili Pepper, Garlic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Vinegar, Salt.
BELAZU Rose Harissa, 170 GR
| Flavor | Rose |
| Brand | Belazu |
| Weight | 170 Grams |
| Package Weight | 0.34 Kilograms |
| Material Feature | Vegetarian |
Ingredients: Rehydrated Paprika and Red Chilli Peppers, Sunflower Oil, Soya Oil, Garlic, Salt, Mixed Spices, Rose Petals, Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid
FAQ
What’s harissa ?
Harissa comes from the Arabic word (هريسة) or “Harasa” which means crushed. “Harasa” is a common name for basically everything smashed like tomatoes or carrots and there’s also a tunisian pastery sweet called sweet harissa.
What does harissa taste like ?
Harissa tastes like strong chili. The taste is a little different depending on who makes it. It is the mixing ratio between the coriander and the garlic, how much oil one uses that makes the taste difference.
What can I use instead of harissa paste ?
You can use Harissa powder or Harissa sauce, chili pesto or use fresh Chili pepper and mix it with a little tomato puree, garlic, salt and coriander as well as cumin seeds.
Harissa Uses
Many several Ways to Use Harissa.
In Tunisian cuisine it is often used in sauces, like :
as a garnish on sandwiches or as an appetizer with mayonnaise and olive oil. see also ( How is olive oil made step by step? )
Mantova Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil Variety Pack
| Flavor | Chili, Basil, Garlic, Lemon |
| Brand | Mantova |
| Weight | 8.5 Ounces |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 2 x 2 x 7 inches |
| Volume | 8.5 Fluid Ounces |
It has also become more and more popular in modern cuisines. see also ( Moroccan Harissa )
Harissa can be very strong in taste so if you are in Tunisia ask the waitress/waiter to be careful with it if you don’t like spicy food. It is common that Harissa, olives, mayonnaise, olive oil and bread are served as an appetizer.
If you are a vegetarian, you can use Harissa to your advantage, for example in stews with beans, dressings in salads and with falafel.
How much harissa paste should I use?
Tip: a little harissa, oil and mayonnaise mixed together and dipped in the bread make the strength of the chili puree becomes a little milder.
The most common “beginner mistake” is to taste the harissa just with some fork or dipped in bread, I guarantee you that your meal is ruined. I have learned this from my own mistakes. This is the pure power of chili flavor.
Harissa paste is available in a tube and in a can.
If you have the opportunity, I would definitely recommend you to make it yourself because you can make it as hot as you want with much more flavor and definetly cleaner.
Here’s how we make our harissa, it can vary a bit depending on who makes it and on taste and preference.
Harissa Recipe
Course: Tunisian RecipesCuisine: TunisianDifficulty: Medium20
servings45
minutes30
minutes46
kcal1
hour15
minutesHere’s how we make our harissa, it can vary a bit depending on who makes it and on taste and preference.
Harissa Ingredients
6 kg red chili
1/2 kg garlic
1/2 litre olive oil
50 g coriander (after taste) or ( Ras El Hanout )
salt (after taste)
Pair of rubber gloves (The chili stings your hands if you do not wear gloves)
How to make Harissa
- Clean the chili: Cut the chili in half and take out the seeds. This is why you need gloves.
- The Drying: Distribute the chili on a cloth. Here we can dry it out in the sun. Flip the chili as it dries every day. How long it takes depends on the weather and humidity The chili must not be too dry but also not too moist. This is difficult to explain but you can see it in the pictures.
- Preparation : Peel the garlic and grind the chili and garlic in a meat grinder. This must be done in two rounds to make it soft.
Then mix in salt, coriander and oil until you get a soft paste. - Storage : Clean and boil a jar and dry it well before use.
Put the harissa in the jar and close tightly the lid. Store it in the refrigerator.
The oil reduces the strong taste and helps the harissa to remain conservative for many months.
Notes
- Many people think that the harissa should be covered with oil when it is in the jar, but we do not cover it. The oil mixed into the puree is more than enough so that it is not destroyed.
Harissa calories
Nutrition Facts
20 servings per container
Serving Size14g
Calories46
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Total Fat
3.5g
6%
- Saturated Fat 0.3g 2%
- Sodium 228mg 10%
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Potassium 148mg 5%
- Total Carbohydrate
3.8g
2%
- Dietary Fiber 1.8g 8%
- Sugars 0.1g
- Protein 0.9g 2%
- Vitamin A 44%
- Vitamin C 2.1%
- Calcium 0.8%
- Iron 3.9%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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