harissa

American  

[hah-ree-suh, huh-ri-suh] / hɑˈri sə, həˈrɪ sə /

noun

1. a pungent paste or sauce made with chiles, garlic, cumin, caraway, coriander, paprika, and olive oil, used as a condiment and flavoring in North African and Middle Eastern cooking.

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harissa British  

/ həˈrɪsə /

noun

1. (in Tunisian cookery) a hot paste or sauce made from chilli peppers, tomatoes, spices, and olive oil, often served with couscous

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Etymology

Origin of harissa

First recorded in 1905–10; from Arabic harīsa, originally a dish of bulgur and meat pounded together into a porridge, from harasa “to pound, crush, break”

Example Sentences

Chickpeas tossed with olive oil, harissa, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, and an almost unreasonable amount of lemon zest.

From Salon

Mediterranean chain Cava aims to keep growing by serving harissa honey chicken and pita chips while more burger-centric rivals have struggled.

From The Wall Street Journal

Let’s say you find chicken thighs, carrots, half a box of penne, an almost-empty jar of harissa, some butter and heavy cream.

From Salon

Danny's Jimmy Nardellos and harissa relish with labneh and mint sounded amazing, and I got a kick out of the notion of going from a Chateaubriand to bologna and canned corned beef.

From Salon

I am not a spicy person in any capacity, but I love harissa because it offers a bit more of a nuanced heat with some deep flavor.

From Salon