What is the best harissa? Ten brands, ranked

Since Yotam Ottolenghi introduced Britain to the joys of Middle Eastern cooking over 20 years ago — helped by Sabrina Ghayour, who released the bestselling Persiana cookbook in 2014 — harissa has become a store cupboard staple in Britain. Nor can we get enough of tahini, ras el hanout, pomegranate molasses and za’atar.

Made from red chillies, garlic, spices and olive oil, harissa is brilliantly versatile. You can also buy rose harissa, which has another, fruitier level of flavour from the addition of rose petals or rosewater.

There has been lots of debate in the office about our favourite way to use it, whether that’s in breakfast shakshuka or stirred into pasta. My favourite use for it, though, is on roast potatoes. Instead of using animal fat or olive oil, I toss my parboiled potatoes in harissa, season and roast for 45 minutes, turning them halfway through.

Belazu Rose

★★★★☆
Tesco, 130g, £4.20

Harissa that ticks all the boxes. There’s spice, but it’s not so overpowering that it masks the subtle rose flavour which comes after. This is very oily, however, so needs a good stir.

Lamiri

★★★★☆
Selfridges, 200g, £7.49

You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off! This is smoky and very powerful. It’s delicious, but a little goes a long way.

Ottolenghi Pomegranate, Rose & Preserved Lemon

★★★★☆
Waitrose, 170g, £5

Thumbs up for harissa that tastes of more than just spice. The lemon here adds a sharpness and gives this jar some complexity.

Al Fez

★★★☆☆
Asda, 180g, £3

If you like your harissa fruity and sweet, then this is for you. It’s spicy, too, with a strong scent of star anise.

Cooks’ Ingredients Ruby Rose

★★★☆☆
Waitrose, 95g, £2.35

*Adds to basket* Comparatively this is much milder and sweeter than the rest, but still with a good punch.

Taste the Difference Rose

★★☆☆☆
Sainsbury’s, 90g, £2.75

This looks radioactive — it’s almost luminescent red. The big flavours are red pepper and paprika, but there’s not much depth to the spice. It reminds me of a romesco sauce rather than harissa.

Tesco

★★☆☆☆
Tesco, 90g, £1.80

All I’m getting is red pepper here. It’s runny and tastes like it’s had far too much paprika added.

Morrisons Cook It Rose

★★☆☆☆
Morrisons, 115g, £2.25

You could almost convince me this was sundried tomato pesto and not harissa. The spice is very one-dimensional — this just tastes of heat.

M&S Cook With Rose

★☆☆☆☆
Ocado, 90g, £2.25

First thoughts: is this burnt? This harissa tastes as though it’s been over-reduced. Not one for me.

Bart

★☆☆☆☆
Ocado, 82g, £2.25

Can we call this harissa? It’s much more like a curry paste. You won’t find it in my store cupboard.