Organic Ground Ginger Chili Pepper

Spiciness 5/10 — recommended by the Italian Chili Academy

The chili pepper that in Tuscany they call ginger: fragrant, balanced, to be used without fear

The Ginger Pepper from the Monastery of Siloam

“Zenzerino” — or Tuscan ginger — is a variety of Capsicum annuum Linked to the Tuscan horticultural tradition, it's presented here ground, with only one ingredient on the label and no additives. Its distinctive feature is its balance: the spiciness is a mere 5 out of 10, present and recognizable but never overpowering, leaving plenty of room for the fruit's aroma, sweet and slightly smoky after drying. It's the most versatile of the three chili peppers in the line, the one you can use generously without fear of ruining a dish, and it works well even for those who aren't very spicy at table. Grown, dried, and packaged directly by the monks in the monastery gardens in Maremma, Tuscany.
 
 
 

The roots of this name lie in a very Tuscan misunderstanding

For those who aren't Tuscan, when they read "zingerin" they inevitably think of the oriental root - and they're wrong. In much of Tuscany, chili pepper has always been called ginger, a word that in the local language indicates spiciness in general and that has nothing to do with Zingiber officinaleThis happens because in peasant dialects, names followed sensation rather than botany: what stung on the tongue took the name of something already known that stung in the same way. Thus, while in the rest of Italy diavolicchio, pipi russu, and a hundred other dialect names were born, in Tuscany chili pepper became ginger, and its diminutive, zingerino, ended up indicating the smallest and most delicate varieties. A name that tells more than many labels: the story of an American plant so well adopted that it received a household name.
 
 
 

Choosing Ginger Pepper means taking care of yourself

Like all chili peppers, it's rich in vitamin C and carotenoids, the pigments responsible for its color, and contains capsaicin, the spicy compound studied for its effects on metabolism. Its moderate spiciness, however, has a concrete advantage: it allows you to use more of it, thus better exploiting its aroma. In cooking, this translates into the ability to reduce salt, because the perceived flavor provided by the spiciness and aroma of the fruit offsets the one you would otherwise seek in salting. A single ingredient on the label means no added salt, no anti-caking agents, and no blending with other spices.
 
 
 

How to Best Use: Ground Ginger Pepper

• IN THE LEGUME SOUPS OF THE TUSCAN TRADITION: it is its natural terrain — a soup of Organic chickpeas from the Tuscan Maremma or Fresh Organic Borlotti Beans, with a drizzle of raw oil and a generous sprinkling at the end of cooking.
• ON FIRST COURSES AND IN SAUCES: it gives heat without covering — try it on some Pici with Organic Ancient Grains with garlic, or in a white ragù prepared with the Dry Cured Sausage crumbled.
• ON EGGS, ON VEGETABLES AND IN MARINADES: a sprinkling on Milly Organic Fresh White Eggs Pan-fried or on roasted vegetables; also excellent mixed with oil to marinate white meats before cooking, where its smoky sweetness works better than an aggressive spiciness.

The Producer: Siloam Monastery

The Siloe Monastery is a Benedictine community that cultivates the monastery grounds, in the province of Grosseto, using organic methods. Among its crops are fourteen varieties of chili pepper, some native to the Maremma region and others from around the world, recovered and preserved along with ancient grains, black chickpeas, saffron, and the Ciliegiolo grape.
 
 
 

Ingredients

Ground chilli pepper from organic farming (Tuscan ginger, Capsicum annuum).

Spiciness: 5/10. Recommended by the Italian Chili Pepper Academy.
 
 
 

Food container

Store in a cool, dry place, away from light, with the jar tightly closed. Light fades carotenoids, and with them the color and aroma, while humidity compacts the powder. Keep it in the pantry, away from the stove, and always remove it with a dry spoon. When stored properly, it retains its aroma and spiciness for a long time.
 
 
 

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