Piri-Piri (South African)

You will see peri-peri spelled piri piri or even peli peli in other parts of Africa. Derived from the Swahili term pilipili, it means pepper pepper and refers to bird's eye chiles. These tiny peppers are used to bring heat to various African cuisines including South Africa's cooking.

Peri-peri peppers are moderately hot with a savoury and slightly grassy flavour. They may be served as a condiment at a braai, which is a South African barbecue. They may also be chopped up and used to season the spicy beef dish known as trinchado that was brought to South Africa by Portuguese settlers.

Peri-peri seasoning is a blend of dry spices that includes the peri-peri pepper along with other ingredients such as lemon peel, black pepper, and paprika. A sauce made with these peppers and traditional African seasonings was popularized by the South African chicken chain Nando's.

Whether you call it piri-piri or peri-peri seasoning, the end result is all the same - it's a delicious combo of pungent and savoury spices with a healthy kick of heat. It's perfect as a dry rub for steaks or chicken, and it can add a nice level of savoury spice to soups and sauces.

Finding piri-piri pepper (a.k.a. dried African bird's eye or malagueta pepper) is not a simple task, but you do have some excellent substitutes that will do just fine. Common cayenne (30,000-50,000 SHU) is the simplest swap-in as it's a spice rack staple, though it's a little milder than malagueta. Adjust your use according to you tolerance level.

If you want something a little more unique and comparable in heat, try crushed pequin pepper. Its spiciness is more in-line, and pequin are easy to pick up online. Another option is dried Thai chilies which will pack a comparable punch to malagueta. They, too, are simple to source, online or often at your local supermarket.

2 tsp. ground paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. ground piri-piri pepper, malagueta pepper, cayenne pepper or pequin pepper

Grind the dried oregano into a powder, then combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.