Actually, no. You might think that the harissa and the chili peppers would make the stew very hot. But the flavors are balanced perfectly with the sweetness of the peanut butter and sweet potatoes and what you taste is a yummy, flavor-packed stew. Remember you can also control the heat by adding as much or as little harissa as you like. If you like a lot of spice, you can add a spicier pepper, like habanero pepper or scotch bonnet pepper, to the stew.