Making Harissa

Learn to make Tunisia's iconic fire-red chili paste from scratch — roasting and blending farm-grown peppers with hand-ground spices the traditional way.

👥 Up to 12 guests

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Tunisia's Most Beloved Condiment

Harissa — Fire, Flavour & Tradition

No table in Tunisia is complete without it. Harissa is the deep-red, smoky, fiercely aromatic chili paste that anchors Tunisian cooking — stirred into soups, spread on bread, spooned over couscous, rubbed onto meats before the grill. It is not just a condiment; it is a culinary identity.

In this workshop, you will make harissa the way it has always been made: with fire-roasted peppers, hand-ground cumin and coriander, a pour of good olive oil, and patience. You will leave with a jar of your own harissa and the recipe etched into muscle memory.

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Pepper Selection

Learn the difference between the varieties we grow — baklouti, guajillo-style, and sweet — and how blending them builds complexity.

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Roasting

Char the peppers directly over the flame until the skins blister and blacken — that smokiness is non-negotiable.

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Grinding the Spices

Toast and hand-grind cumin, coriander, and caraway the traditional way — the aroma alone is worth the trip.

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Your Jar to Take Home

Blend, season, pack into jars, and seal with olive oil. Your harissa, your heat level, your label.

🧄 The Ingredients

What Goes Into Real Harissa

Supermarket harissa and true harissa share a name and not much else. Here is what makes the difference.

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Fresh & Dried Chilies

A blend of fresh roasted peppers and rehydrated dried chilies creates the layered heat that stays on the palate without overwhelming it.

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Garlic

Raw, pungent, and generous. Garlic is not a background note in harissa — it is a co-lead.

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Ground Spices

Cumin, coriander, caraway — toasted and ground fresh on the day. Pre-ground powder does not compare.

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Tunisian Olive Oil

Cold-pressed and grassy from our own grove, it emulsifies the paste and acts as a preservative in the jar.

Practical Details

What to Know Before You Come

The session runs for approximately 2.5 hours and includes a tasting — of harissa at different stages, alongside fresh bread and olive oil. Each participant leaves with one sealed jar of their own harissa.

Groups are capped at 12. Suitable for adults and teenagers. If you have a very low spice tolerance, let us know — we can adjust the blend. Aprons are provided, but wear clothes you are happy to get a little stained.

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