Harissa
huh-REE-suh
Hot, smoky, garlicky, aromatic.
What it is
Harissa is the fiery chile paste at the heart of Tunisian and wider North African cooking, made by grinding rehydrated dried chiles with garlic, olive oil, and spices, most distinctively caraway, along with coriander and cumin. The result is hot, smoky, and deeply aromatic, used both as a cooking base and a condiment. It seasons couscous, stews, soups, and grilled meats, and a spoonful stirred into almost anything adds heat and depth. The caraway is part of what sets harissa apart from other chile pastes. Heat and texture vary by recipe, from coarse and rustic to smooth.
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: delicate dishes; it is bold and hot.
Common in Moroccan, Middle Eastern cooking.
Whole vs ground
Harissa is usually a paste rather than a dry blend, made from rehydrated dried chiles ground with garlic, spices, and oil. A dry powder version also exists.
How to handle it
Stir the paste into stews, soups, and dressings, rub onto meat, or thin with oil as a condiment. It is potent, so start with a small spoonful.
Storage
Jarred or homemade paste keeps refrigerated under a film of oil for weeks. Dry harissa powder keeps airtight for months.
Buying note
Recipes vary in heat. Look for caraway in the ingredients, which marks a traditional Tunisian style.
What's in it
- Cayenne·chile heat
- Caraway·the signature seed
- Coriander seed·citrus body
- Cumin·earthy depth
Classic dishes
couscous, harissa chicken, shakshuka, merguez.
Out of harissa? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| chile paste with garlic, caraway, coriander, and cumin | to taste | build it from parts; caraway is the signature note |
One odd thing
What sets harissa apart from other chile pastes is caraway, the aniseed-sharp seed ground in alongside the chiles.