CHILLI FLAKES

Most Red Pepper Flakes are from the species Capsicum annuum, which is a member of the Solanaceae  family (also known as the night shade family). In the US, red pepper flakes, along with Parmesan cheese, has become as common in pizza parlors and Italian style restaurants as salt and pepper is at most other restaurants. For many, Red Pepper Flakes is a key piece of the ideal pizza experience - they wouldn’t dream of eating a slice without having first given a shake or two of red pepper flakes.

A shaker of Red Pepper Flakes often includes all parts of the pepper - the outer skins, the veins (the hottest part of any chile) and of course the seeds.

History of Red Pepper Flakes

If you’ve ever visited northern Italy, you most likely have never came across Red Pepper Flakes making their way onto slices of pizza, and you’ll find them added into the sauce either.

According to pizza historians (yes there is such a thing), the use of Red Pepper Flakes on pizza and pasta can be traced to the late 1800s in southern Italy, where the people of this region enjoyed adding a bit of spicy heat to their dishes (much more so than their northern countrymen). And this part of Italy is known for their spicy hot Pepperoncino Chile. Researchers who have studied early South Italian immigration to America have found that it was common for these early immigrants to grow hot peppers in their backyard gardens, so adding them to their home made pizza seems quite logical.  

Cooking with Red Pepper Flakes

While most of us in this country associate Red Pepper Flakes with Italian food, they can actually be used to give a nice zing to a variety of cuisines and are an essential ingredient for many African, Chinese and Mexican dishes.

Red Pepper Flakes are ideal when you want to perk up chili, chowders, pizza, pickling, salads, homemade sausage, sandwiches, soups, spaghetti sauce, stir-fries or vegetable recipes.

Red Pepper Flakes work well in combination with most spices, lemon juice, lime juice and coconut milk and because they’re typically a member of the nightshade family they pair very well with potatoes and tomatoes (there’s that pizza tie-in again).

Types of Red Pepper Flakes

Some red pepper flakes are hotter than others, depending upon the chiles used by that supplier, so cooks who haven't used them before or who are trying out a new supplier should be cautious when adding them to a dish for the first time. Remember you can always add more if a dish isn’t spicy enough.

The most common chiles used as the ubiquitous Red Pepper Flakes are De Arbol Chiles, Japones Chiles and Tien Tsin chiles. Our Red Pepper Flakes are Birdseye chiles, Capsicum frutescens, cultivated in India where these dark red, almost burgundy, colored chile peppers are dried and crushed.

Types of Red Pepper Flakes

Some red pepper flakes are hotter than others, depending upon the chiles used by that supplier, so cooks who haven't used them before or who are trying out a new supplier should be cautious when adding them to a dish for the first time. Remember you can always add more if a dish isn’t spicy enough.

The most common chiles used as the ubiquitous Red Pepper Flakes are De Arbol Chiles, Japones Chiles and Tien Tsin chiles. Our Red Pepper Flakes are Birdseye chiles, Capsicum frutescens, cultivated in India where these dark red, almost burgundy, colored chile peppers are dried and crushed.

What Do Red Pepper Flakes Taste Like

Our Red Pepper Flakes will add some sharp, biting flavor.  

Most Common Questions About Red Pepper Flakes

We get lots of questions about red pepper flakes. Here are some of the most common.

What's the difference between red pepper flakes and crushed red pepper?
They are the same thing and many home chefs will use both terms interchangeably when referring to them.

What are the benefits of red pepper flakes?
Red pepper flakes contain capsaicin (the compound that puts the hot in chile peppers), which helps reduce inflammation. In ancient Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, a traditional form of Indian medicine, red peppers have historically been used to treat digestive problems, circulatory problems, infections and arthritis. Cultures where chiles peppers are consumed in large amounts tend to have a much lower rate of heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms and strokes.

How hot are red pepper flakes?
The heat varies depending on the supplier you get your red pepper flakes from. We consider our Red Pepper Flakes to be a hot chile with their heat level tipping the scales at 30,000-35,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units).

Red Pepper Flake Substitutions and Helpful Hints

If you’re looking for a substitute in a recipe calling for red pepper flakes you can use ½ teaspoon of cayenne powder per ¾ teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes or you can use one small red chile pepper (i.e. a Thai Chile) per each teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes.

Some of our customers have told us they believe that the flavor of chile flakes lasts a bit longer if they are kept refrigerated. We keep our home supply of Red Pepper Flakes in a cool dark cabinet away from the heat of the stove and feel that works just fine.