Aleppo Pepper

Aleppo Pepper is grown specifically in Turkey and near the village of Aleppo, in Syria. It is difficult to find, and becoming increasingly more difficult to find as political unrest continues to haunt the region. But Aleppo Peppers are worth the search.

This Red Turkish Pepper has a bright flavor with moderate heat balanced by light fruity raisin-like notes and a salty undertone. Though they are most often found among Turkish spices in Turkish cuisine, Aleppo Pepper flakes can be used to replace regular red pepper flakes in any dish. They can also be used as a slightly hotter substitute for paprika or a sweeter substitute for cayenne. The heat is robust. It blossoms fully with the first bite and fills your mouth with heat and flavor, that quickly rolls away like a cloud on the ocean and leaves behind a mild flavorful warmth that radiates throughout the meal.

Use Aleppo Pepper flakes on pizza, salad, pasta, meats, rice, sauces, sun-dried tomatoes, lentils and more. Use them on everything! Aleppo spice work well cooked into a meal, or as a table spice sprinkled on just before eating.

Aleppo spice often appears in dishes of Meze- a course of many small appetizers popular in Greece, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and other Near Eastern and Mediterranean countries. Pair them with Acili Ezme (a hot pepper and walnut paste) pita bread, hummus, falafel, and Köfte. Lamb kebab and grilled meats are often flavored with Aleppo Pepper flakes as a part of a spice blend including garlic, salt, black pepper, and others. Aleppo spice also complements and balances chocolate, cinnamon, and sugar in spicy/sweet desserts.

Aleppo Peppers are a rich burgundy color and beautiful in appearance. They are most often found crushed and coarsely ground. The high oil content in this pepper makes for a shiny slightly moist ground pepper. Ground Aleppo Pepper is best used within nine months for the most potent flavor.