Harissa is a type of hot sauce or paste made from hot peppers and other ingredients, which can include olive oil, various spices, seasonings, and citrus. All of these ingredients are Paleo-friendly, so there’s no reason we can’t include Harissa as part of a healthy Paleo diet.
Health Benefits
The base of harissa (chili peppers) have a number of specific health benefits. The capsaicin that gives them their heat is though to have anti-inflammatory effects and countries that consume lots of hot peppers have lower rates of stomach, colon, and intestinal cancer. It’s only correlational evidence, but it’s still worth noting.
A Super Food
Hot peppers have so many health benefits that Mark Sisson named them a smart fuel.
Make Your Own
You can buy pre-made harissa in cans or jars, but if you want to make your own, you should check out Marla’s recipe for homemade harissa.