Product Review

Many home cooks grind aji amarillo peppers into paste and use them as a condiment to be served at every meal. In parts of South America, the chile is chopped up fresh or reconstituted from its dried form and tossed with chopped onion, lemon or lime, and salt as a salsa. In Peru, many soups and stews require dried aji amarillo peppers (you can't have a Peruvian-style chicken soup without them).

The powdered version is rather new to American markets. Its fruitiness and low heat levels have caused it to be used in quirky ways. It makes for a unique substitute for mustard powder in a pinch. We often add it to banana bread or mix it with honey and use the mixture to glaze a ham.