Israeli Seasoning - Shata Pepper

[rockycat]

What is shata pepper - צילי שאטה ? Is there an English translation or an American equivalent? I'm finally getting around to making the Yemenite Foot Soup and the recipe I'm looking at calls for this shata pepper. I've run across it before in Israeli recipes but have no idea what it is.

[cresyd]

In the Israeli pepper/chili universe there aren't a huge number of options (unfortunately). The shata pepper is a small red spicier pepper that sometimes comes dried and whole, sometimes powder (and often will go by the very misleading name of "hot paprika") or fresh.

I would start with cayenne (when I've asked for cayenne here in spice markets, I usually assume it's just shata) and then get more exotic from there. While Yeminite food is one of the spicier Israeli cuisines, compared to Indian/Thai/Mexican spice - it's really not that spicy. So I wouldn't go for anything very spicy or smoked (unless that's your personal preference).

I recently found a store in Jerusalem that was basically giving away some very basic "Mexican chili powder" because they couldn't find anyone who had any interest in mildly spicy and smoky. Great for me though.

[rockycat]

Thanks. We had an assortment of dried cayenne, Thai bird, and Vietnamese peppers that we'd grown this summer and ended up using, I think, one of the cayennes. The soup, unfortunately, was not the best. I'll be trying a different recipe next time.

[cresyd]

Haaretz published a Yemenite Foot soup recipe in the past, but I can't comment on it's quality.

[rockycat]

That's the one we used. At a minimum, it needs to reduce A LOT more than the recipe states. Even with that, I don't think I'd use that recipe again.

[almond tree]

Where are they selling the Mexican chili powder in Jerusalem? Thanks.

[cresyd]

East/West on Aggripas. Not the world's greatest brand - but in a case of something being than nothing (and inexpensive to boot), it's great.

They actually have a number of spices behind the counter that you can get by weight and are incredibly inexpensive.

[almond tree]

Thanks. Don't think I'll get there till the snows stops, though :)

[cresyd]

Lordy, that was ridiculous. Today I actually treated myself to a trip to Tiv Tam in Rishon Leziyyon for surviving being snowed in.

And in completely unrelated news to shata chilis - green garlic is now back in the shuk.

[DeisCane]

Ground and dried hot chili pepper

[rockycat]

Yes, I saw that it was described as charif, but I still don't know what type of pepper. Also, the recipe called for 1 shata pepper, so I presume it means a whole one. Ancho, cayenne, guajillo, japonica, Thai bird, etc? What might be closest?