Schug is a Middle Eastern condiment – a variety of hot sauce – with a deep history. It originated in Yemen. Yemen is located at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula and has a somewhat different history and culture from the rest of the region. Yemen’s unique cuisine is one area where the differences are […]

Freezing hot sauce can be an option if the sauce is homemade and you have too much of it. You probably won’t need to do it with a commercial hot sauce since most of those contain preservatives that ensure a long shelf life even at room temperature. You probably won’t even need to do it […]

Shichimi togarashi is unique among herb and spice blends in that we can still pinpoint its beginnings even though it has been around for centuries. Not only do we know the location where it was first made — the Yagenbori herb shop in Tokyo — we also know the exact year, which was 1625. What […]

Saving pepper seeds is straightforward in principle — leave a pepper on the tree until it gets very ripe. Once it ripens, you cut it open and store the seeds until you are ready to plant again. Simple, right? The truth is that while it’s not hard to wrap your head around the concept, there […]

The ingredients list for a standard salsa recipe includes some of the most versatile ingredients in the world: tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. And, of course, for many salsas: chili peppers. If you have run out of ideas for using salsa (like as a dip or condiment on its own) and have some left over, you […]