Full question
I can't find Aleppo pepper down here in Southern Tasmania and I'd like to try your recipes that use it in At My Table. If I substitute paprika which type should I use - hot or sweet or smoked? If a spice jar is just labelled "paprika" then which type is it likely to be?
Our answer
Nigella uses Aleppo pepper in her recipe for Turkish Eggs (from AT MY TABLE). Aleppo pepper is made from red chilli peppers that are usually grown in Syria or Turkey. It can also be called pul biber or Turkish red pepper flakes. It is fairly mild with a fruity, slightly lemony edge.
If you can't find Aleppo pepper then Nigella suggests that you use a combination of quarter of the quantity of regular crushed chilli (red pepper) flakes and a quarter quantity of paprika. So in this particular recipe 1 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper should be replaced with 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. You should use sweet paprika and not smoked paprika. In our experience jars labelled as just "paprika" tend to be the sweet type rather than the hot type, but you should always read the label carefully.
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