# Harissa: Commercial Product History

Canonical: https://thefoodthatshapedus.com/food-evolution/harissa
Market: United States
Coverage: 3 product families; 13 confirmed observations; 2021-03-03 to 2026-08-28.

## Historical identity
Harissa is closely tied to Tunisian food culture and to the movement of chile peppers into the Mediterranean after the Columbian Exchange. The full Harissa history article traces that longer story; this guide deals only with present-day U.S. labels, formats, prices, and purchase use cases.

## Current product snapshot
- Zwita Smoky Traditional Harissa: Thick whole sun-dried chile paste; 6 oz jar; observed price $11.95 for 6 oz; observed 2026-08-28.
- Mina Spicy Harissa: Red chile and red bell pepper sauce; 10 oz jar; observed price $8.00 for 10 oz; observed 2026-08-28.
- New York Shuk Signature Harissa: Medium chile paste; 10 oz / 255 g jar; observed price $12.95 for 10 oz / 255 g; observed 2026-08-28.

## Confirmed timeline
- 2021-03-03: Zwita entered commercial sale in the United States. Contemporary reporting dated Zwita Foods' commercial launch to March 3, 2021, after the founders began developing the business in 2020.
- 2026-08-29: Current U.S. product observations compiled from the linked product and seller evidence.

## Method and limits
No missing year is treated as evidence that a price, package, formula, owner, origin claim, or availability stayed unchanged. External source material remains with its rights holder; this record publishes source metadata, links, and checksums.

## Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Harissa. https://www.britannica.com/topic/harissa-food (2026; captured 2026-08-29).
- Houston Chronicle. Houston brothers want to introduce the real harissa to America. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food-culture/article/Houston-brothers-want-to-introduce-the-real-16149932.php (2021-03-03; captured 2026-08-29).
- Mina. Mina Spicy Harissa. https://mina.co/products/mina-harissa (2026; captured 2026-08-29).
- New York Shuk. Signature Harissa. https://www.nyshuk.com/shop-shuk/signatureharissa (2026; captured 2026-08-29).
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Harissa, knowledge, skills and culinary and social practices. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/harissa-knowledge-skills-and-culinary-and-social-practices-01710 (2022; captured 2026-08-29).
- Zwita. Smoky Traditional Harissa. https://zwitafoods.com/products/smoky-harissa (2026; captured 2026-08-29).

Public JSON: https://thefoodthatshapedus.com/food-evolution/harissa/data.json
Public CSV: https://thefoodthatshapedus.com/food-evolution/harissa/data.csv
Buying guide: https://thefoodthatshapedus.com/buying-guides/harissa-paste
Full food history: https://thefoodthatshapedus.com/food/harissa