Italians do it better...

Madonna has always said “Italians do it better” but when it comes to chilies I never really thought they would. I have become a fan of these extremely spicy and “deliziosi” chilies called Peperoncini Piccanti that I tried in my favourite Italian restaurant called Terroni.

Apparently, they are a variety of the species “Capsicum annuum” just like the bell pepper and they are also known as Tuscan peppers. The term peperoncini is moslty used for hotter varieties and they are the key ingredient for dishes like Pasta alla Puttanesca, Bolognese and Salsa alla Diavola.

They are the “tocco perfetto” for a pizza or pasta. Adding a little bit of these chilies wouldn’t let you stop eating. As a Mexican, I have to say that not only I’m really used to spicy food but I also love it! I’ve tried different types of spiciness like Thai and Indian which are totally different than Mexican. With Thai chilies you will feel the heat at the back of your throat, Indian on your tongue and Mexican on your lips. And let me give you a tip, drinking water after eating a lot of hot food will not put out the fire on your mouth or stomach. The only thing that will is some sour cream, yogurt or milk. Why? I don’t really know, it’s just a “nonna’s” remedy and it works pretty well!

The best part of this is that you don’t have to wait to go and eat at Terroni to enjoy this delight, for as little as $10 CAD you can buy them in their retail area and enjoy them at home with any type of food (they are really good on sandwiches, pitas and even quesadillas!).

They are homemade and since they come preserved in olive oil, they’ll stay fresh for a long time. They are so good that I think you’ll eat them all before they go bad! Godere (enjoy in Italian)!