harissa

[ huh-ri-suh, hah-ree-suh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

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.

harissa

/ həˈrɪsə /

noun

(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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Word History and Origins

Origin of harissa¹

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”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of harissa¹

C20: from Arabic

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Example Sentences

Best eaten with strong, spicy harissa as a condiment, to counter the fattiness of the meat.

From The Daily Beast

Harishchandra hark

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