Cobanero Chili Flakes

Our Cobanero Chili is a rare Maya variety of chili pepper with a fierce, smoky heat and a lush, fruity aroma. It's perfect for anyone who appreciates true chili flavor. It's grown in the mountains around the city of Cobán, Guatemala. The flavor is fruity like a peach, sweet, slightly smoky, and brightly spicy. They're spicier than serrano peppers and in the same range as cayenne.

What they're saying:

“I love Burlap & Barrel’s lightly smoky Cobanero Chili Flakes for pretty much everything when I want to feel warm.” -Katie Okamoto, New York Times

"The burnished red flakes can be used in a wide range of dishes; they add a bright fruitiness and tantalizing spiciness unlike the straightforward, one-dimensional heat of standard crushed red pepper." -Kate Krader, Bloomberg

“These fruity, smoky Guatemalan peppers are my No. 1 favorite chile flakes. I keep a jar of infused olive oil at the ready to brush on focaccia, or drizzle over anything else.” -Zoë Kanan, Pastry Chef and Eater Young Gun

• Origin: Coban, Guatemala
• Aliases: Chile Cobanero
• Heat level: 30,000-50,000 Scoville units
• Process: Air-dried
• Ingredients: Cobanero chili pepper (Capsicum annuum)
• Tasting notes: Papaya • Roasted Corn • Fire

COOKING

• Add to your pot of beans, roasts or braises
• Add to your marinades or sauces for an extra kick
  
• Ilham's Yellow Lempah Fish
• Recado Cobanero
• Cobanero Beer Butter Mussels
• Doña Irma's Cobanero Salsa
• Pairs well with: Zanzibar Black Peppercorns, Cured Sumac, Smoked Pimenton Paprika

SOURCING

This is a really, really special chili varietal called a Cobanero Chili, only cultivated in the area around the city of Cobán in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. We were looking for farmers who grew this chili, which is one of the oldest domesticated chili varietals, and asked Don Amilcar (who also grows our cardamom and black lime) if he knew anyone. He did us one better and started growing them himself.