Harissa is the everyday chili paste of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco: dried red chilies soaked and ground with garlic, olive oil, salt and toasted cumin, coriander and caraway. Tunisian versions are fiery and brick-red; Moroccan ones are milder and more aromatic. Rose harissa, popularized by British brands, adds rose petals and rose water for a floral edge that works especially well with lamb and yogurt. Use it in tagines, couscous, shakshuka, roast vegetables, grilled fish and as a marinade for chicken or lamb.

How to buy

Tubes (Le Phare du Cap Bon, Dea) are the Tunisian standard: intensely hot, concentrated and cheap, sold in Middle Eastern grocers and the international aisle of many US and UK supermarkets. Jars (Mina, Belazu rose harissa, Trader Joe's, Waitrose Cooks' Ingredients) are looser, oilier and usually milder, closer to a ready-to-use condiment. Read the label: chilies, garlic, oil and spices only; avoid pastes bulked out with tomato or bell pepper. Dry harissa powder is a different, much weaker product.

How to store

Once opened, keep harissa in the fridge in a sealed jar with a thin layer of olive oil poured over the surface; it lasts two to three months this way. Tubes keep six months or more in the fridge. A darkened, dry top layer is normal (stir it in or scrape it off); mold, fizzing or a sour smell means it should go. Harissa also freezes well in an ice-cube tray.

Substitutes

  • Sambal oelek or sriracha, 1:1, plus 1/4 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander per tablespoon. You get the heat but lose the smoky, earthy depth.
  • Gochujang, 1:1. Similar body and a little sweetness; less garlic and no cumin, so add a pinch of each.
  • Homemade: blend 2 rehydrated dried ancho or guajillo chilies with 1 fresh red chili, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon caraway, salt and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Very close.
  • Smoked paprika plus cayenne (1 teaspoon paprika and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne per tablespoon of harissa) stirred into olive oil. Dry, less bright, but fine in a rub.

How to use

Taste your brand first: a tube harissa may be four times hotter than a jar, so start with 1 teaspoon for a dish serving four and add more at the table. Fry it briefly in oil with the onions to deepen the flavor, or whisk it into yogurt, tahini or mayonnaise for a quick sauce. A tablespoon mixed with lemon juice and olive oil makes a marinade for 500 g of chicken or 2 large aubergines. It is salty, so season the dish after adding it.

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