The Tunisian harissa became an essential condiment in the US, which is not surprising at all. With its bright red color, perfumed odor and spicy taste, the Tunisian harissa seduced even the most demanding customers.
The secret of Tunisian harissa is undeniably its authentic recipe that was jealously kept from one generation to another. What you should know is that the whole process is done manually, from peppers’ harvest until the last steps of preparation.
Today’s story is about Hayet, this courageous and tenacious woman who comes from Nabeul, an important city located in the Cap Bon. Hayet has prepared the Tunisian authentic harissa for more than 20 years, with a traditional method and recipe that were inherited from her mother and grandmother.
For Hayet, harissa isn’t just a condiment, it’s part of the family’s traditions and habits. And until today, Hayet still use the traditional method to have the finest quality of harissa that Tunisia has to offer.
In order to have this delicious harissa that we use in almost all our dishes, Hayet and her colleagues make pepper garlands and leave them in the sun for many days and even weeks. After that, dried peppers are chopped in a manual stitching machine, with some garlic and salt. This simple recipe gives us a tasty harissa with a light smoky flavor.
Harissa artisans strongly believe that harissa will soon be part of the UNESCO world heritage.
