Similarly, Calabrian chilli peppers are often made into a chilli paste which has multiple applications. This Nduja sausage is used in a plethora of Italian dishes such as on top of pizza and in many stuffed pastas as well as aperitivos. The chillies are dried and pulverised into a powder and then rubbed and massaged into the cured pork mince. The smokiness of Calabrian peppers is what endows Nduja with its salty, sweet, smokiness that makes this meat paste stand out within the sausage world. One of the most traditional and popular uses of Calabrian chilli within Italy is using it to make Nduja. If you’re chilli mad this could be worth looking into, even if just for the sun and Italian good vibes. The festival includes many bohemian shows such as plays and dances as well as various eating contests and spice challenges. Since 1992 people have celebrated the peppers and chillies at this four day festival. They are so popular in Italy they are the main attraction of the annual peperoncino festival held in Diamante, Calabria. The region is well known for the pepper and you can find the epicentre of Calabrian chilli dishes and culinary usage in the capital of Calabria, Catanzaro. Italy isn’t particularly known for its peppers, but the Calabrian chilli is an exception.
Made in the foot of the boot of Italy, the Calabrian chili is a product of Calabria, a region in Italy. It’s the chilli’s smokiness and fruitiness, which compliments its moderate spice, that people seek in this pepper. Its scoville rating is between 25,000 to 40,000 Scoville units, which is medium in comparison to the very hot chilli peppers.Ĭalabrian chillies aren’t really known for their heat, rather, they are known for their interesting flavor profile. The Calabrian chilli pepper is a chilli that has a medium level of heat. Many people enjoy using this chilli in collaboration with other chilis that have more spice as it can complement other peppers quite well with its unique taste. The smokiness and sweetness means the pepper is perfect for a dish such as mole style sauce for braising meat. This is perfect for having a European or Italian take on dishes such as Chilli or an Italian style salsa. This is a pretty authentically Italian taste that is perfect in a sandwich with other smokey and salty deli meats, or in any classic pasta dish. There is a smoky and slaty finish to the pepper that is unique and not common in Italian peppers or chilli peppers. Once the mild spiciness passess, the pepper’s frutiness emerges which is sweet. Like most chillies the predominant flavor is that of the pectin that is rife in chillies.
They look like you classic red sweet pepper, but once you bite in you will find a whole world of unique flavor.
In the summer, when mature, they are succulent and large and become sweet from the Calabrian sun. The Calabrian chilli is Ferrari red, and is a long but metay pepper that hangs from overarching vines. The chilli is also commonly referred to as ‘Diavolicchio’ pepper by Italians, which means ‘little devil’. They are commonly confused with ‘Calabrese chillies’, these are the same thing, ‘Calabrese’ simply means ‘of Calabria’ in Italian. Like most other peppers they come in fresh and preserved forms for immediate or future use, they are definitely worth having in your pantry. This chilli has all the flavor, smokiness and sweetness of a Calabrian summer night. Unlike most peppers, its spice isn’t the main flavor – there are a lot of complex tasting notes to the Calabrian chilli that makes it special and enjoyed by many for its uniqueness among other chilli peppers.