Dish · moroccan
Harissa
Harissa is a paste of dried chiles, garlic, and toasted cumin and coriander, ground smooth with olive oil into a hot, deeply spiced condiment.
Where it comes from
The paste comes from Tunisia's dry climate, where sun drying chiles was a practical way to preserve the harvest, and it's now used across North Africa as a base flavor rather than just a garnish.
What cooks argue about
The main fork is toasting the whole spices before grinding versus adding them pre-ground, since toasting deepens flavor but can tip bitter if the seeds go even slightly too dark.
Versions
Nobody has published a harissa here yet. When somebody cooks one from a video and publishes it, their version appears in this list, with a link back to the original.
What goes in it
Each one opens everything else made with it.
garlic
cumin seeds
coriander seeds
olive oil