Not a dish without the harissa!

Harissa is an essential ingredient in Tunisian cuisine. Whether traditional or industrial, in paste or powder, a pinch, a spoon or a spoonful is a must in Tunisian cuisine. Indispensable, the Harissa is the flagship product that will ensure that your dishes are succulent.

Cap Bon Harissa is made from fresh red peppers and red peppers. They are mixed with caraway seeds, garlic, salt and coriander. The traditional harissa, known as “arbi” is made by grinding dried red peppers with garlic, salt and a little oil.

Previously, this type of harissa was sold only in bulk in the markets or at the grocer. It is currently available in supermarkets. Packed in glasses boxes, the traditional harissa is marketed under different brands such as “Jardin de Mornag” at 2,370 DT. The brand “Safir” offers it at 3.750Dt and “El khabia” at 4,530 DT

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On the other hand, various brands of industrial harissas exist on the Tunisian market. We can quote the brands “Amira”, “Jouda”, “The lighthouse of “Cap Bon”, “Cap d’Or”, “Le Petit Paris”, “Thyna”, “Sicam” ‘Harissa marketed in supermarkets, Cap d’Or 0.705 DT) is the cheapest and Sicam is the most expensive (0.805 DT).

Some harissas take off internationally and make them speak beyond the borders to make the best representation of the Tunisian label abroad. Indeed, the harissa brand “Le Phare du Cap Bon” of SCAPCB (Société des Conserves Alimentaires des Producteurs du Cap-Bon) won the gold medal at the 6th Swiss The year 2015-2016.

If you are abroad, know that you can find the Tunisian harissa  in Paris at  http://www.lagrandeepicerie.com or at http://www.lecomptoirdetunisie.com .
Also note that harissa is available in almost all supermarkets like Carrefour, Auchan, E.leclerc, Giant Casio, Lidl, … Just take care to make sure that the harissa you buy is indeed Tunisian. Numerous imitations are positioned on the product without the know-how

Flavors at harissa!

Now that you know just about everything about harissa, we suggest some Tunisian dishes that are absolutely inedible without a good harissa spoon. Almost all Tunisian dishes contain harissa.

We propose you to start with one of the most popular and popular dishes on an international scale: Tunisian dish. It is a salad to which is added a poached egg, harissa and virgin olive oil. This mixture of fresh vegetables, eggs cooked in boiling water would be nothing without a generous tablespoon of harissa! The Tunisian dish contains of course olive oil, tuna, good olives, prickles, capers ….

The second dish we recommend is a typical Tunisian dish consisting of diced bread, chickpea soup and homemade harissa. This dish is the famous “Lablebi”. For those who do not eat it or do not know it, know that the latter may seem visually not very appetizing. But if you taste, you will love it! The “lablebi” is just not imaginable without harissa! A lablabi without harissa is like a cake without sugar!

If you do not like to eat up and want to taste a more “soft” dish, we recommend you opt for the carrot salad “Ommek Houria” which is a puree of steamed carrots mixed with harissa arbi , Spices and garlic. Note that it is necessary to add harissa to this puree, otherwise this dish will look rather like a compote.

The harissa, this assortment with the piquant taste that one consumes every day in Tunisia or almost, is not to be confused with harissa “harissa hloua” which is a cake made from fine semolina and almonds in powder .

Photo Credit: Harissa Festival. Nabeul.