Tropic Habanero Mix by Erich Stekovics, yellow and fiery
Tropic Habanero Mix by Erich Stekovics is a very hot spice paste made from yellow habanero peppers, which are cleaned and cut by hand before being mixed with sea salt and rapeseed oil. In addition to the heat, the yellow pod offers a floral, almost tropical aroma.
Tropic Habanero Mix is the yellow chili paste from Erich Stekovics, grown at Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland and kept coarse so that the pieces of the pepper are still recognizable. Habanero is one of the hottest varieties in existence, which is why a knife tip is enough here where a spoonful would be used otherwise.
First the floral fruit, then the fire
When you lift the lid, you first smell something light and floral that brings to mind apricot and ripe mango. Only afterwards does the heat make itself known, arriving as a broad, slowly rising warmth rather than a sharp sting.
This heat lingers and only subsides after several minutes, which is why the paste should be used sparingly. Yellow habaneros taste significantly fruitier than the red varieties, which primarily provide fire. Sea salt is listed right after the pepper in the ingredients and adds a strong savory element.
Rapeseed oil binds everything together and coats the paste in a thin film, which keeps it fresh in the opened jar. Coarsely chopped, the fruit remains identifiable and only breaks down when stirred into a warm pot.
For quick-seared meat, in marinades and salsas
Stir a knife tip into your barbecue marinade so that the heat is distributed evenly instead of sitting in one spot.
This paste is just as suited to quick-seared meat, bean dishes, salsa for tacos, or fish soup as it is to grilled shrimp, whose sweetness stands up to the heat. Because it already includes salt, season your dish only afterwards. Approach it in small steps, as you can always add more, but you can never take it back.
Mango, pineapple, and lime also pair well with this heat, which is why tropical salsas find their natural partner here. For guacamole, a touch from the tip of a knife is enough, and in a pot of rice, it distributes itself naturally. A dollop in a dip for raw vegetables provides warmth without masking the freshness.
Habanero, the pepper with the misnomer
The habanero is named after Havana, although its home lies further west on the Yucatán Peninsula. Botanically, it belongs to Capsicum chinense, and this species name also goes back to an old misunderstanding, as the species has nothing to do with China.
Capsicum chinense needs heat and time, often five months from flowering to a ripe pod. At Lake Neusiedl, it finds both in the Pannonian climate, which provides long, hot summers. Erich Stekovics only harvests once the peppers have turned from green through pale yellow to a deep, sun-drenched yellow. Before ripening, the fruit lacks its floral quality, leaving behind nothing but pure heat.
A small jar that lasts a long time
Because every portion is tiny, a jar from Erich Stekovics will stay by your stove for many months. Anyone looking for heat while wanting to retain the fruit is in the right place with this yellow pepper. More fire from the garden of Erich Stekovics can be found in our chili specialties, such as the tart, bright lemon chili.
