NABEUL, Tunisia — For many years, the people of Tunisia have been harvesting vibrant red peppers, which they expertly combine with garlic, vinegar, and a variety of spices to create a flavorful spread known as harissa. This beloved condiment has become a vital part of Tunisian culture, easily found in households, eateries, and food stalls across the picturesque coastal nation of North Africa.
Characterized by its brick-red hue and spicy yet tangy flavor, harissa is versatile enough to be enjoyed on bread with a drizzle of olive oil or as a complement to dishes such as eggs, fish, stews, and sandwiches. The sauce enriches the taste of merguez sausages and can even be spread onto delectable pastries called brik or added to sandwiches known as fricassées.
In Nabeul, the main city within Tunisia’s harissa-producing Cap Bon region, chef and harissa expert Chahida Boufayed describes the condiment as “essential to Tunisian cuisine.” At a recently held festival dedicated to this iconic chili paste in Nabeul, Boufayed shared her passion for making harissa, stating, “Harissa is a love story. I don’t make it for the money.”
Culinary enthusiasts and tourists from both Tunisia and beyond flocked to Boufayed’s stall at the festival to sample her unique recipe. Amidst a backdrop of sun-drying baklouti red peppers, she elaborated on her process of cultivating vegetables and blending them with aromatic spices to create her signature harissa.
The annual harissa festival in Nabeul has expanded significantly in the past two years, following UNESCO’s designation of the sauce as a component of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Zouheir Belamin, the president of the organizing association based in Nabeul, noted that this newfound international recognition has sparked a surge in tourism to the region.
In 2022, UNESCO recognized harissa as a fundamental element of Tunisian daily culinary practices, placing it among other cultural treasures such as Ukrainian borscht and Cuban rum. This condiment, already favored in North Africa and France, is finding its way into the hearts and kitchens of food lovers across the globe, from the United States to China.
Often referred to as sriracha’s North African counterpart, harissa is traditionally crafted by women who sun-dry the ripe red peppers before deseeding, washing, and grinding them. The name “harissa” stems from the Arabic verb “haras,” which means “to crush,” reflecting the next phase in its creation.
Once the peppers are processed, they are combined with garlic cloves, vinegar, salt, olive oil, and spices using a mortar and pestle, resulting in a fragrant paste. At the recent festival in Nabeul, several harissa variations were showcased, incorporating spices such as cumin and coriander, and featuring different types of peppers including smoked ones, producing a stunning range of colors from burgundy to crimson.
“Creating harissa is an art. If you master it, you can create wonders,” Boufayed concluded, highlighting the skill and craftsmanship involved in this culinary tradition.
