Red Pepper, Crushed

Don’t judge this classic spice by the dusty jar at your neighborhood pizza joint! When prepared fresh and stored properly, red pepper flakes—made from the crushed skins and seeds of red chilis—deliver a bold, but not incendiary, punch to dressings, stews, even a cheese slice. Said to have been processed in this manner by early Macedonians, it fittingly pairs well with other Mediterranean ingredients such as eggplant and tomato.