Chilies/Chilis/Chillis/Hot peppers: The Topic

[Wolfert]

Here are my thoughts in response to your queries--- in purple.

1. How different is Aleppo from Maras? Are they actually the same pepper, just grown in a different region?

They are almost the same variety, but due to the soil and harvesting practices they are quite different in aroma, color and flavor.

The Maras is much finer in flavor with floral tones. The Aleppo is more robust and gritty. Both are not too hot and are tossed with salt to keep them fresh.

The cost of Maras is much higher than Aleppo pepper even in the Middle East. The Maras that Zingermans and formaggio kitchen sell is 100 % pure. Freshness is very important; often storekeepers will mix from different years. You get what you pay for. Keep in mind that storage is important; you need to keep the pepper refrigerated. Finally, you can tell the difference between maras and aleppo peppers: the former is bright red; the latter dark.

[

2. As I said, I've never heard of Kirmizi. Is this used interchangeably with Aleppo when one wants more heat?

no. kirmizi means red

3. Are their other varieties that I'm unaware of? Sure, there's a whole range of Paprika's, but I'm thinking of peppers that are used specifically in the Middle East.

Hot and sweet peppers are used raw, pickled, fried, stewd and roasted in the eastern Mediterranean. Certain regions have become famous and have their town names attached : the hot and hotter Nabeul and Gabes peppers in Tunisia; the mix of hot and warm Maras pepper, and the smoky Urfa in southeastern Turkey; the sweet fleshy peppers of Florina in Northern Greece (bucovo); Abkhaia Red pepper from the Black Sea coast of Georgia; and the husky Aleppo pepper in Syria

4. Is there a cookbook that covers these in greater detail than, say, Claudia Roden's?

5. Kalustyan's on-line store seems like a great resource for spices.

absolutely..I buy a lot of spices from them because they are fresh and priced well.

Does anyone have an opinion of their quality compare to other on-line sources? Penzey's? Also, excellent.

Does Sahadi's sell spices on-line? Their physical store has a nice selection but it doesn't look like you can buy spices on-line.

Charley Sahadi used to sell his spices through sultan's something or other. I forget.

Many thanks,

Rien

Edited March 12, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[andiesenji]

I would like to recommend that your visit Graeme Caselton's web site.

Chile database

He has the most complete listing (most with photos) of peppers, chile and others, on the internet.

Click on "Varieties Database" in the upper left corner.

You can also email him at gcaselton@gmail.com if you have a recipe made with a particular type of pepper, the more unusual the better. He would like to have a recipe for every type of pepper.

This page explains the different terminology that can sometimes be rather confusing.

A caveat - you can spend a lot of time on this website. It contains a huge amount of information about the lovely little fruits with the amazing colors, flavors and degrees of heat.

[Wolfert]

Andie: What a great site!

I just spent a huge amount of time there and learned a great deal, but I didn't find the any particular information on Middle Eastern peppers? Would you mind putting in the hyperlink?

Edited March 13, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[tsquare]

Another plug for the wonderful world of Seattle:

World Spice Merchants

Only 27 listings under pure chiles.

Tony Hill has a book out too - "Contemporary Encyclopedia of Herbs and Spices: Seasonings for the Global Kitchen"

[andiesenji]

Andie: What a great site! 

I just spent a huge amount of time there and learned a great deal, but I didn't find the any particular information on Middle Eastern peppers?  Would you mind putting in the hyperlink?

←

Did you connect via the "Chile Database" link and scroll down to the section where chiles from various areas of the world are listed?

That is the hyperlink to his home page.

Also you can send him an email at gcaselton@gmail.com with questions or information.

The web site itself is vast and has changed quite a bit over the several years I have been on the Chile-Heads digest and first was introduced to this site.

[Basilgirl]

Well, The Basilman's garden is starting to overflow. He planted at least 30 chile pepper plants, and an unknown number of tomato plants. He likes to do things in a big way. Anyway, the serranos, habaneros, banana etc. are going nuts (and soon -the peter pepper! can't wait to see that one)...any EASY ideas on how to deal with all of this stuff? The 1999 Garden from Hell saw me in the kitchen every night, making salsas and sauces and pepper mashes... I froze some of the peppers but I didn't like their texture after they thawed out.

Help! I'm not into canning but if there is an easy way to do it I'd love to hear about it. Thanks.

[Toliver]

Dry them. They'll store quite well and can be revived with hot water when needed.

My brother uses a Mr. Coffee food dehydrator to dry his crop of chile peppers. Once dried, he keeps them labeled in Ziploc bags. He will also use a coffee/spice grinder to make homemade fiery hot pepper flakes (snip off the stems before grinding!), bottles of which he gives out as Christmas gifts every year.

If you don't have a dehydrator, you can lay them in a single layer on a flat cookie sheet (with rim, preferrably) and leave them in the sun to dry. The only problem with this is that they are exposed to the elements. Also, you will need to turn them every once in a while since moisture is not a good thing and can lead to moldy peppers.

Enjoy the bounty!

[jsolomon]

Pickled pepper relishes are wonderful. I'll see if I can scare up a recipe for you.

[sparrowgrass]

If I have too many chiles, I string them, using a big needle and dental floss, and hang them somewhere dry and breezy.

(Dental floss because it is amazingly strong--also works well for sewing on buttons. No mint flavored floss, please, thought I doubt you could detect it thru the chiles.)

You could roast them and can them, but you would have to use a pressure canner. If you want instructions, I can probably find them for you.

[John S.]

any EASY ideas on how to deal with all of this stuff?

←

My favorite book with ideas on this is is "Too Many Chiles!" by Dewitt.

It can be found at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-h...7329782-2069649

Our warm weather statred late here, in San Jose, and my cfhiles are still catching up. Gooid luck!

John S.

[highchef]

I like to make 'sweet' peppers out of my extras. slice them up and do them like you'd do cucumbers to make sweet pickles (get the bag stuff for this in the canning section of the market). You can can them easily just by inverting the filled jars..it's really not a big deal at all.

[rooftop1000]

Last time we had the pepper forest going I made stuffed jalepenos,

froze a bunch of different ones plain,

and dried the long skinny red ones strung with needle and thread

...as long as you are cooking with them the defrosted texture doesnt matter that much and they slice fairly nice if you catch them frozen just right amount

T

[snowangel]

You can also roast them, skin them and freeze them. They are great in braises, enchiladas, etc.

[Milagai]

The larger milder ones make great pakoras:

remove insides (if desired)

dip in a chickpea flour+water+salt+turmeric+cuminpowder batter

deep fry.

dip in green chutney (mint/cilantro)

great stuff for breakfast (seriously)

washed down with masala chai.

The smaller hotter ones make great pickle:

sliced thin, marinated with ginger slices, and

mustard seed+fenugreek seed+turmeric+salt+asafetida+turmeric

Milagai

Edited July 14, 2005 by Milagai (log)

[bobmac]

When a recipe -- Asian or Mexican is where I usually encounter this -- calls for a minced pepper, does it mean the seeds, too, since those and the membranes are the real heat? I suppose the answer is in how hot you want it, but what is the general intent?

[Tri2Cook]

I'd think that would be a textural decision, that's about all the seeds really add.

[rancho_gordo]

I'd think that would be a textural decision, that's about all the seeds really add.

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If you like hot food and the chiles are fresh, like jalapeños or serranos, I'd always include the seeds. Roasted poblanos get no seeds for me.

Dried hydrated chiles are generally seeded except in some recipes, like for cascabels, you roast and grind the seeds and add to some dishes.

The black seeds from a manzano/peron chile are supposed to be toxic.

[Dave the Cook]

Seeds can add a little heat, because they're next to the placenta which, as you point out, is where the heat is produced. I take them out, just like with bell peppers, unless I'm blending them into a sauce.

[djyee100]

A well-written recipe will tell you to seed the pepper if that's what the recipe writer intends for best results.

But then, of course, many recipes don't say, which raises the question whether the writer wants you to add the seeds, or whether the writer just plain forgot to address the matter.

The itty-bitty Thai peppers are routinely not seeded for cooking (you would have too much trouble trying to do this, anyway). For other peppers, it's optional.

Ultimately, it's up to you!

Edited July 31, 2008 by djyee100 (log)

[Reconstructing Dinner]

I think that there's a psychological aspect to this question, as well. Seeds suggest spicy -- not bell peppers, of course, but then this is a chili thread. I tend to like to emphasize the spiciness, so I would leave them in. I often serve home-pickled or fresh sliced chilies as an accompaniment -- whether the seeds actually make them hotter may be up for debate, but they LOOK hot.

RD

Edited July 31, 2008 by Reconstructing Dinner (log)

[eatrustic]

If the name Dianna Kennedy means anything .... she says to put the whole thing in, seeds and all (her tone of voice indicated that to do less was wimping out on the recipe).

[christian_ramon]

I have about 40 little Thai ornamental peppers that I grew this summer. They grow like crazy. I ate a raw one for the hell of it. What a bad idea. It was brutally hot. Does anybody have any recipes for making oils, marmalades or anything else interesting. I also have a few habanero plants that are starting to yield some beautiful little red/orange habaneros. Any recipes would be greatly appreciated.

[djyee100]

The "little Thai ornamental peppers" you're talking about are Thai bird chiles, I assume. You can dry them on a plate in a well-ventilated area, preferably in the sun. Then use them as you would use any small dried chile pepper, such as dried cayenne chile peppers. Thai bird peppers are hotter than cayenne peppers.

If you're into Thai food, you can make Nahm Prik Pow, a sweet-hot chili paste that you can add in cautious amounts to Asian dishes for spiciness. My cooking teacher Kasma Loha-Unchit's recipe is here: http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/recipes/nahmprikpow.pdf

At the top of page 2 of this recipe are instructions for roasting the dried chiles on the stovetop. I like to roast my dried chiles until they are lightly browned and a little charred. Then I grind them in a spice grinder with a pinch of salt to make a wonderfully fragrant, toasted chile powder. And yes, it's very hot!

For the habaneros, you could make a roasted chile puree. Combine 7 or 8 roasted and peeled habanero chiles, 1/4 cup oil, 2 tsp white vinegar, and a generous amt of salt. Puree everything in a blender. Keep the puree in a jar in the fridge. You can add it like chile paste to various dishes (soups, stews, sauces), or spread it lightly on pizza dough as a base for other toppings. I like to spread it on flour tortillas, with white cheddar & some freshly chopped cilantro, for yummy quesadillas.

Edited September 19, 2008 by djyee100 (log)

[merstar]

I've always wanted to make this - was recommended by a friend - uses 6 large poblano peppers: STUFFED CHA-CHA CRAB CHILIES. Will PM the recipe to you if you're interested.

Edited September 19, 2008 by merstar (log)

[kellytree]

A friend of mine brought me 2 big hot pepper plants over last night filled with lots of peppers so I will make tuna stuffed peppers this weekend with them.

They are easy to make and everybody loves them.

http://www.lelekelly.com/tunapeppers.htm