Aleppo pepper is a coarsely crushed, semi-dried Capsicum annuum chilli from northern Syria and southern Turkey, with moderate heat, fruity and slightly salty flavour and a moist, oily texture.
What it is¶
Aleppo pepper, pul biber in Turkish and fulful halabi in Arabic, is a variety of Capsicum annuum grown around the Syrian city of Aleppo and across the border in southern Turkey. The ripe red pods are partly dried, deseeded, crushed into coarse flakes and usually rubbed with a little oil and salt, which gives a moist, glossy texture and deep burgundy-red colour quite unlike dry, dusty chilli flakes.
The heat is moderate, often quoted at around 10,000 SHU, and builds gradually rather than striking. It is a table seasoning as much as a cooking spice, and in Turkey and Syria a bowl of pepper flakes sits beside the salt.
Origins and history¶
Aleppo was for centuries one of the great trading cities of the Levant, on routes connecting the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia and Anatolia, and its markets were famous for spices. Chillies reached the region after the sixteenth century through Ottoman and Mediterranean trade, and the Aleppo variety became a signature of northern Syrian cooking.
The Syrian civil war, from 2011, devastated Aleppo and disrupted farming and export. Most "Aleppo pepper" now sold internationally is grown in southern Turkey, in the Gaziantep and Kilis regions close to the border and in the Maraş area, where very similar peppers were already grown; some producers in Turkey are Syrian refugees. Turkish Maraş biber is closely comparable and often interchangeable.
Flavour and aroma¶
Aleppo pepper tastes fruity and warm: sun-dried tomato, raisin, a little earthy cumin-like note and a faint saltiness from the curing. The oil carries the flavour and makes it cling to food. The heat is moderate and slow, sitting on the tongue rather than burning the throat, and fades gently.
In the kitchen¶
Use it as a finishing seasoning as freely as black pepper.
- Muhammara: the Aleppo speciality of roasted red peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, pomegranate molasses and Aleppo pepper.
- Kebabs and köfte: mixed into minced lamb for Adana kebab and scattered over grilled meats. See turkish cuisine.
- Eggs: over fried eggs, çılbır (poached eggs on garlic yoghurt with chilli butter) and shakshuka.
- Butter and oil: heat 2 tbsp butter or olive oil with 1 tsp Aleppo pepper until it foams red; drizzle over yoghurt, hummus, soups and dumplings (manti).
- Salads and vegetables: over tomato salads, roasted aubergine, feta, grilled halloumi and pizza.
- Instead of chilli flakes: anywhere, for a gentler, fruitier result.
💡 Mind the salt
Many brands are cured with salt, so taste before seasoning a dish that already has plenty.
Buying and storing¶
Good Aleppo pepper is moist and oily, deep red and smells fruity. If it is dry, pale and dusty, it is old or not the real thing. Keep airtight in a cool, dark place (the oil can go rancid in heat) and use within six months to a year. Some cooks keep it in the fridge.
Substitutes¶
- Turkish pul biber or Maraş biber: close equivalents, sometimes the same product.
- Urfa biber: darker and smokier, a little milder.
- 4 parts sweet paprika to 1 part chilli flakes, with a few drops of oil and a pinch of salt.
- Espelette pepper or gochugaru: different origins but similar gentle, fruity heat.
Pairs well with¶
Yoghurt, lamb, eggs, feta, walnuts, pomegranate molasses, sumac, cumin, mint, parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, butter, tomato and aubergine.
Growing your own¶
The Aleppo variety is a C. annuum chilli grown in hot, dry summers. In Britain, sow indoors in February–March at 20–25°C and grow in a greenhouse or sunny, sheltered position. Let the pods ripen fully red. To make flakes at home, dry them until leathery (not brittle), remove the seeds, pulse coarsely in a grinder and rub with a few drops of oil and a little salt. Seed may be sold as Aleppo or Halaby pepper. See growing chillies.