Tunisia’s spicy Harissa gets Unesco heritage status

TUNIS: Unesco on Thursday added Tunisia´s spicy national condiment Harissa to its list of intangible cultural heritage, saying it was part of the North African country´s identity.

The United Nations´ cultural agency is meeting in Morocco to examine proposals for its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which aims to protect cultural traditions, practices and knowledge.

“Just inscribed on the #IntangibleHeritage List: Harissa, knowledge, skills and culinary and social practices,” it tweeted on Thursday. Harissa is a paste made with sun-dried hot peppers, freshly prepared spices and olive oil, which preserves it and slightly reduces its spiciness. It is found in almost every restaurant in Tunisia and also exported worldwide.

Tunisia´s application for the status notes that Harissa is “an integral part of domestic provisions and the daily culinary and food traditions of Tunisian society”, usually prepared in a family or community setting.