“Harissa is a love story,” she said at a festival held in honor of the chili paste sauce in the northeastern Tunisian city of Nabeul earlier this month. “I don’t make it for the money.

Well, turn to harissa; the paste will imbue the ingredients with a mouthwatering mix of spiced, smoky, and hot flavors. Hailing from North Africa, this flavor-packed condiment is crafted with an ...