You may never have heard of “Harissa” before. ( I know I didn’t before this trip.) Harissa, is a spicy chili-garlic condiment that is made from oil, garlic cloves, chili paste, cumin, chili powder, and other ingredients and plays an important role in the Tunisian diet.

At first, we had no idea what this bright red “stuff” was on every table with every meal (except breakfast). Thinking it was ketchup or tomato sauce, we put a big glob on our food…BAD MOVE…every taste bud on our tongues stood up and screamed…”You’re killing us.” Tears streamed down our faces, noses ran, and we gulped down whatever liquid was on the table. But we learned fast and became addicted. Each hotel or restaurant had its own degree of “Harissa Heat” so you’d take the teensiest amount on a fork and test it on your food to check the potency level. We also became Harissa mavens, comparing and tasting each one, to pick the best flavor.

We ate a lot of gyros-type, shish-ka-bob-type meats in Tunisia and this condiment really made a difference in the food. Pumped up the heat…Bam! It was good on every meat, fish and even with potatoes.

By the time our trip was over, we were snarfing it down! Douz had a little take-out stand in the middle of town that made the best fresh Tuna Salad sandwiches on French bread with olives and Harissa. (I’ve tried to duplicate it with no luck.) Harissa was also delicious spread on bread and could have been a yummy alternative to Salsa with taco chips or potato chips. I bet it would also be wonderful on top of omelets….I bet it would be wonderful on anything!

Ah, Tunisia….Harissa…now I’m obsessing over where to get a Harissa fix…short of revisiting Tunisia…which would be perfectly fine with me!
Let me know if you find (or have experienced) Harissa – definitely try it in Tunisia (it’s hard to avoid) – and Bon Appetit!