Harissa infused olive oil

Harissa and olive oil are the most famous ingredients in the North African pantries. Tunisians like to call themselves the people of harissa; though I dislike the label, it is a very descriptive one. Indeed, Tunisians and other North African people adore this sizzling spice.

Olive oil is the crowned king of the Mediterranean. The wisdom, traditions, craftsmanship, and culture of olive oil have distant roots on both shores f the Mediterranean. Efforts to valorize this oil during recent years have been successful in boosting the global reputation of the olives and their golden yield.

The combination of both is a sublime blend. The potential benefits of both ingredients are numerous.

So, what are the uses and benefits of harissa infused olive oil?

Harissa infused olive oil

Harissa is made of chili peppers. Usually, these peppers are sizzling which makes the paste a bit hard to consume for people who do not tolerate hot foods or who are not familiar with the taste.

To avoid the potentially dire consequences of eating hot foods, people would infuse harissa paste with olive oil.

Some would use mild peppers in preparing this paste; hence it would yield n acceptable degree of heat and anyone can consume it without problems. Still, even in this mild paste, people would use olive oil first because it adds to the nutritional value of the blend and second because it perfects the texture.

The simplest way to make your own homemade spicy paste is to take a quick trip to the nearest market, grab the necessary ingredients, and head home for the party.

This paste is made up of caraway seeds, cumin, coriander seeds, chili peppers, salt, garlic, and of course olive oil.

The chilies can be either dried or fresh. People favor different ways; for me, both chilies make excellent pastes. However, using dried chilies would extend the shelf life of the paste. If you prefer to use fresh peppers then you need to steam them.

Ground the peppers and other ingredients until you have a homogeneous blend. Finally, drizzle a few tablespoons, as desired, and mix the paste well.

Harissa paste challenge:

As kids, we used to challenge each other a lot. One of the funny challenges that I remember is the harissa challenge.

We would challenge ourselves and one another to see who could tolerate the sizzling spice more. We would eat the homemade harissa paste with a spoon. No bread or whatsoever was allowed to relieve the heat.

I had guts for spices since I was young and usually, I would win such challenges. The secret lies in not letting the paste touch your palate. If it touches the palate it would burn badly. You need to swallow it as soon as you can and let it slide to your stomach fast. It would still burn but not as bad as the burn in the palate and tongue.

Using harissa drenched in olive oil in such challenges was truly a life savior; otherwise, we might have perished due to the sizzling condiment we kept eating on its own.

Uses of harissa and olive oil:

At home, there must always be a jar of homemade harissa in the fridge because we don’t know when we might need it. This spice is adored by all age groups and is used virtually in every dish you might think of.

Sandwiches for snacks should always contain a spoon or two of harissa. Hummus, lablabi, kaftegi, and others, which are traditional and fast food options, rely heavily on this condiment. It simply adds flavor and a mouthwatering taste to such foods.

We use it also with soups, marinades, couscous, and pasta…etc. Roasted or steamed vegetables would definitely taste much better with a tablespoon of hot harissa drenched in olive oil. Roasted chicken, fish, stakes, and whatever you might think of can be upgraded with this condiment.

The paste can be used as you wish and with any recipe you want. Order harissa infused olive oil now and enjoy the incredible taste.