Harissa spread from Tunisia- your new "go to"

 This past Sunday I found the most delicious little jar of goodness! The sweet red pepper provides a fresh, slightly acidic base, while the Harissa adds a nice warm heat to the mix.
Les Moulins Majhoub is based in Tebourda, Tunisia.  Steeped in rich agricultural traditions of the region,  their products are of the finest quality - certainly some of the best  I have tasted.  From their website,

“Tebourba is one of a few towns in Tunisia whose population has a quite special original character. It is composed almost entirely of descendants of the Moors driven out of Andalucia who settled on the site of the old Tuburbum Minus, on the left bank of the Medjerda.  The district of Tebourba is rich and fertile. It produces large amounts of cereals; there are abundant crops of olives, market gardening (truck farming) is highly developed and very varied.”     (E. Lecore-Carpentier - L'Indicateur Tunisien - Annuaire des administrations de la régence de Tunis - Guide du commerce, de l'industrie de l'agriculture et des touristes. 1905.)"

photo courtesy of Les Moulins Majhoub

 Harissa is a hot chili sauce, traditionally from Tunisia or Libya.  The main ingredients are piri priri (which is a type of chili pepper), serano and other hot chili peppers, herbs and spices including garlic, coriander, caraway, chili powder.  Olive oil is added to create the right consistency.  You can purchase harissa paste from most specialty foods stores, or online here.  It is very spicy and should be used sparingly at first, but once you understand its flavor, it becomes a brilliant addition to any middle eastern style dish.