Pilpelchuma ( he, פלפלצ'ומה), also spelled pilpelshuma (lit: "pepper garlic"), is a chili-garlic paste similar to a

hot sauce Hot sauce is a type of condiment, seasoning, or salsa made from chili peppers and other ingredients. Many commercial varieties of mass-produced hot sauce exist. History Humans have used chili peppers and other hot spices for thousands of ye ...

originating from the

Libyan Jews The history of the Jews in Libya stretches back to the 3rd century BCE, when Cyrenaica was under Greek rule. The Jewish population of Libya, a part of the Sephardi-Maghrebi Jewish community continued to populate the area continuously until the m ...

and commonly used in

Israeli cuisine Israeli cuisine ( he, המטבח הישראלי ) comprises both local dishes and dishes brought to Israel by Jews from the Diaspora. Since before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and particularly since the late 1970s, an Israel ...

Overview

Pilpelchuma traditionally has been the main condiment in Libyan Jewish cuisine. Pilpelchuma made its way into Israeli cuisine in the mid-20th century with the migration of the community to Israel. Pilpelchuma has a consistency similar to

tomato paste Tomato paste is a thick paste made by cooking tomatoes for several hours to reduce the water content, straining out the seeds and skins, and cooking the liquid again to reduce the base to a thick, rich concentrate. It is used to impart an inten ...

, and is available in Israel in packaged form typically in a tube or jar. Pilpelchuma is also commonly made at home. The two main ingredients of pilpelchuma are dried sweet and hot

pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...

s that have been steamed and garlic. Other ingredients are olive oil, ground cumin and

caraway seed Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin (''Carum carvi''), is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Etymology The etymology of "caraway" is unclear. Caraway has been ...

s, lemon juice and kosher salt.

Uses and popularity

Pilpelchuma is used as a

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific flavor, to enhance the flavor, or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is served separat ...

and as an ingredient in dishes such as salads, meat, fish, legumes and rice dishes. Today in Israel it is a popular condiment used in falafel sandwiches, shawarma, chicken schnitzel, sabich, and to top hummus. It is especially popular in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, where it is used in the local variety of

shakshuka Shakshouka ( ar, شكشوكة : šakšūkah, also spelled ''shakshuka'' or ''chakchouka'') is a Maghrebi dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion and garlic, commonly spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper ...

uses pilpelchuma as the area is home to a large Libyan Jewish community. In recent years pilpelchuma has become popular in the west and is used as a condiment in such dishes as

potato salad Potato salad is a salad dish made from boiled potatoes, usually containing a dressing and a variety of other ingredients such as boiled eggs and raw vegetables. In the United States, it is generally considered a side dish and usually accompanie ...

References

{{Hot sauces Herb and spice mixtures Hot sauces Israeli cuisine Jewish cuisine Libyan cuisine Mizrahi Jewish cuisine Sephardi Jewish cuisine

Overview

Uses and popularity

See also

References