Aleppo woos tasters with cumin-like complexity and a deep rich aroma, somewhere between coffee and smoke. Aleppo is kinder to the tongue than dried red pepper flakes, that staple of kitchen spice racks and pizza parlor take-out counters.
If aleppo is unavailable, four parts sweet paprika and one part cayenne pepper can be substituted, but that misses the point.
Aleppo has a more graceful taste, some call it slightly fruity. I plan to sprinkle aleppo on a melon and mint salad in the summer. I've served aleppo with scrambled eggs and mixed it with cucumbers and plain yogurt for a simple salad.
I discovered aleppo at World Spice Merchants in Seattle, where it is sold for $2 an ounce. Penzeys sells a .8 oz jar for $1.99.
Aleppo looks light and flaky, somewhat similar to the texture of finishing salt. Experts say aleppo is a must to deliver authentic Mediterranean flavor and fragrance.
Today is national Wear Red Day -- a campaign for heart health. Aleppo is our little way to contribute something red to the day. Learn more about how to lower the risks of heart disease here.
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Your suggestion of aleppo on cucumbers and plain yogurt reminds me of a food idea we picked up from street vendors in LA--sprinkling fresh fruit [chunks of mango is a good choice, among others] with lime juice and chili powder. And if you can find fresh pickles at your produce market--the small cukes that are used to make pickles--those are quite tasty sliced into spears and given the lime juice/chili powder treatment.
This is educational- I just saw a Chile Verde recipe on Chow that uses aleppo. The suggest subbing ancho chile powder if one cannot locate aleppo.
The heat-power of ancho and aleppo are said to be comparable.
It is hard to find words to describe these things precisely, but Ancho is more traditional tasting. I grew up never eating anything "spicy" so I've had fun exploring pepper varieties lately. I wonder if the rounded, slight fruit taste of aleppo wears off as it cooks. I haven't cooked with it yet, just sprinkled it on top.