Pickled chilis and fiery chili pastes
What are Stekovics chilis? Pickled chili peppers, colorful jalapeños, and spicy seasoning pastes from the fields of Erich Stekovics at Lake Neusiedl. Not some anonymous, mass-produced heat, but varieties with names and character, ranging from mildly fruity to fiery hot.
Stekovics Chilis are pickled chilis, colorful jalapeños, and hand-stirred chili pastes from Erich Stekovics, the "Emperor of Tomatoes" from Frauenkirchen. Cleaned and cut by hand, preserved in wine or tomato vinegar, or processed into a paste with sea salt and oil, the selection ranges from mild to extremely hot. You will find ten chili specialties gathered here.
600 chili varieties, from mild to fiery
Erich Stekovics collects chilis the way others collect stamps—there are around 600 varieties now. They ripen in the Pannonian climate at Lake Neusiedl, developing their own unique aroma: fruity, spicy, and fiery. His favorite variety is called "Gänseschnabel" (Goose Beak), as Erich likes to emphasize, and it is preserved in the finest Beerenauslese vinegar. Only a few special varieties make it into the jar, hand-picked and carefully seasoned.
In this way, every pepper gets its place. The colorful Santa Fe variety jalapeños come in a 270 ml jar—yellow, orange, and red—medium-hot and crunchy. The habanero, on the other hand, means business: bright orange and truly hot. From mild jalapeños to extremely hot habaneros, every level of intensity is represented, so you can work your way up slowly. The entire world of Stekovics draws from this diversity.
Pickled in fine vinegar or stirred into a paste
Some chilis go into the jar whole, preserved in Austrian Grüner Veltliner or in tomato vinegar made from his own tomatoes. The Chili Variations are so colorful that they make a real eye-catcher as a gift, with a 250 g drained weight in a decorative tall jar. Others are turned into seasoning pastes—just chili, sea salt, and oil—like the zesty Lemon Chili or the yellow Tropic Habanero Mix, which contains 80 percent peppers. Very hot, very concentrated; a small dab is enough for an entire dish.
The Acacia Chili is in a class of its own: hot peppers married with pure acacia honey from beekeepers in Gols, creating a sweet-and-spicy flavor with an Asian note. It unfolds its sweet-and-spicy depth when paired with lardo, scampi, or aged cheese. The tomato-paprika chili, meanwhile, is simmered with sugar in a copper kettle to create a fire-red chili jam. The sea salt used is from Portorož, and the vinegar is often made from his own tomatoes. This is how 130 grams of peppers in a jar becomes sometimes fire, sometimes fruit, and always a little bit of Burgenland.
With cheese, grilled dishes, and Asian cuisine
Stekovics chilis love the big stage—on a cheese board, at a barbecue, or in a wok. The Acacia Chili is suitable for glazing ribs or grilled prawns, while the milder jalapeños are perfect for a snack with ham and salami. A small handful of heat transforms simple bread with cream cheese into something special.
Try the pastes as a seasoning for sauces and vegetables, dosed carefully; a small spoonful goes a long way. Our tip is a dab of tomato-paprika chili on a grilled cheese sandwich—the special something for in-between. If you prefer things milder, you will find the gentle side of things in the rare bell peppers, and the fruity side with the tomatoes. Careful, these jars pack a lot of heat and are not for the faint of heart. But for those who love the fire, this is the place to be.
