Suggested uses

Basic prep

Storage & handling

Store in cool, dry place.

Ingredients

Dried chile peppers, vegetable oil, salt.

The Urfa Biber Chile gains its complex flavor through an intricate preparation process. The chiles are sun-dried during the day and wrapped tightly at night, sweating the chiles to keep in the moisture. The result provides a longer lasting heat and flavor that has a wide range of uses.

Cultivated in the Urfa region of Turkey, these chiles are typically crushed into flakes before leaving the Middle East to ensure flavor preservation. They stay slightly oily and moist, allowing for immediate, direct flavor and spice when activated with a little heat. Best used as a finishing pepper, this moist ground chile is perfect for meat or other warm, cooked food.

Part of the Capsicum annuum family, these kinds of peppers have been part of the human diet in the Americas since at least 7500 BC. While they are now staples in many cuisines, they were not introduced to Europe and Asia until the late 1400's when they were brought to Spain and quickly traded for their culinary variety and as a cheaper alternative to pricey peppercorns.