Aleppo Pepper

These crushed dried Middle Eastern red peppers, which are less hot than Mexican chiles, are close in flavor to the indigenous hot peppers of the Greek islands. Turkish Maras peppers are similar in taste to Aleppo peppers, but often hotter, while Urfas peppers, from the eponymous region of Turkey, have an exceptionally deep flavor. Aleppo and the Turkish peppers can be bought at Middle Eastern shops, where they are often simply called “Middle Eastern pepper.” If you buy a large quantity, store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.