Anatolia, Caucasus, Levantine Chilis


Shatta Chilis, whole, cut

[C. annuum]

The various ethnicities of Anatolia, Caucasus and the Levant may not get along real well, but their ingredients and cuisines overlap substantially into a coherent region. Egypt, on the other hand, is in North Africa, but has strongly influenced the Levant.

As far as we can tell, the Turks got chilis from Portuguese traders in the 1500s, and they spread from there to the Levant, Caucasus and Balkan regions, and as far as Hungary.

Countries included in this section are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Israel, and possibly some Egypt.

More on Chili Peppers.


Armenian / Turkish Chili


Whole Armenian / Turkish Chilis [Capsicum annuum]

Fresh yellow-green, up to 8 inches by 2 inches but more commonly stubbier at 5 to 6 inches by 2 inches diameter, tapered with a usually blunt end. These are noticeably sweet when they start to yellow but can have detectable hotness ((H0 to H1). They have thinner skins, thinner walls and a more subtle flavor than Bell Peppers, so are good for frying and roasting, similar to Italian Frying Peppers. They are very like the sweet Hungarian Green pepper, which stands to reason, since the Hungarians got their peppers from the Turks. They can be considered interchangeable with those chilis.

Aleppo Pepper


Whole Aleppo Pepper on Plant [Halaby (Arab); Capsicum annuum]

This important pepper has been long grown around the city of Aleppo in northern Syria, after which it is named. The Arab name, Halaby, is also named for the city, which was called Halab in ancient times. Most are now grown in Turkey due to the endless warfare that has destroyed much of Aleppo and the surrounding region. This chili is not much used fresh, most being processed into Aleppo Chili Flake. This is a fairly hot chili at H6, but the flake made from it is much milder as the seeds and veins are removed.   Photo borrowed from Refining Fire Chiles until the seeds I bought from them bear fruit.

Aleppo Chili Flake


Ground Aleppo Chili Flake [Haleb Biber (Armenia); Pul Biber (Turk)]

This is the form most Aleppo Pepper is sold in. Here in Southern California there was once only the Mild version, but now both Mild and Hot are available (2019), though actually there isn't a lot of difference. The flake is not nearly as hot as the chilis themselves, due to seed and vein removal in the process. This flake is made by salt drying the fresh chilis until they are partially dry. They are then opened and the seeds and veins are removed. The last steps are to sun dry and then grind to flake. The flake is just a little salty from this process. Subst: Ground Ancho Chili with a little salt is considered the most acceptable substitute.

Shatta Chili


Red Shatta Chilis, whole and cut [Capsicum annuum]

In Palestine and Egypt, a chili sauce called "Shatta" is made, which may or may not be made using Shatta Chilis, as the word "Shatta" is simply a word for "Red" in Arabic. This means there may be other Chilis in the region also called "Shatta". This plant is small, but is a good producer. Unlike most chilis this large, they grow point up. The photo specimens were up to 1.9 inches long and 0.55 inch diameter. These chilis are just moderately hot (H4).

Aci Sivri Biber


Red Aci Sivri Peppers on Bush [Capsicum annuum]

This chili is very popular in Turkey, and has spread into the Balkans and Eastern Europe, and no doubt into Armenia. "Sivri Biber" just means "Hot Pepper" in Turkish. They are long and narrow, growing as long as 9 inches. Their hotness is a bit unpredictable, but can be as low as H6 and as high as H8. The plant can grow to 3 feet high, and is very productive.   Photo borrowed from Refining Fire Chiles until the seeds I bought from them bear fruit.

Red Fresno Chili


Fresno Chilis, whole, cut ["Red Jalapeno" (some U.S. supermarkets); Capsicum. annuum]

This chili IS NOT from the Anatolia, Caucasus, Levantine region, but all the ethnic communities in Southern California seem to have found it suitable for their cuisines, wherever a medium hot fresh red chili is needed. While California chili growers produce over a dozen kinds of fresh green chilis, this, and the tiny Thai chilis, are about it for red ones. The hotness of Fresno chilis is about H6, but they are easily disarmed by removing the seed core and membranes. The attractive flavor of this chili remains. If a long narrow shape is needed, you'll have to track down Holland Reds, sometimes sold in the big chain supermarkets. Fresnos are most reliably found in Asian markets, particularly Korean and Southeast Asian. For details see our   Fresno Chilis page.

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