Naoumidis Piperoktima — Organic Hot Florina Pepper Spread with Wild Garlic & Coriander, 9.2 oz

Piperoktima is the Naoumidis family's hot pepper spread. Roasted red Florina pepper and hot Florina pepper are cooked down slowly with wild garlic, sunflower seeds, coriander, spices, lemon and extra virgin olive oil. Each 260 g jar starts as roughly 3 kg of fresh peppers, cooked for 3 hours until they concentrate into a dense, deeply flavored spread.

The roasted red pepper carries the sweetness, the hot pepper carries the heat, and the coriander and lemon keep it bright. The peppers are peeled by hand so they keep the aroma of the pepper itself. On the producer's own label the product is called Piperoktima, a sun-dried pepper spread (Άλειμμα Λιαστής Πιπεριάς), and it is made for the table as much as for the pantry.

What's in the jar

• Roasted red Florina pepper and hot Florina pepper
• Wild garlic, sunflower seeds and coriander
• Lemon, salt and spices
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pasteurized, no preservatives

How to use it

• As a meze — a spoonful on warm bread, next to Roussas PDO feta and olives
• As a dip — stir into thick Greek yogurt or whipped feta
• In sauces — add to a tomato sauce, a pan of shakshuka or a pasta finished with olive oil
• Alongside grilled food — lamb, chicken, sausages or grilled vegetables

It is a hot spread, so start with a small spoonful and add more to taste.

Producer & origin

The Naoumidis family has worked with the Florina pepper since 1972, when the family ran a restaurant in Agios Panteleimon, on Lake Vegoritida. The formal production unit opened in 2007, on the pepper farm itself, in Amyntaio, Florina, in northern Greece. The spread is a handmade organic product, made from the family's own Florina peppers.

Quick specs

• Size: 9.2 oz (260 g) glass jar
• Ingredients: roasted red Florina pepper, hot Florina pepper, wild garlic, sunflower seeds, coriander, salt, spices, lemon, extra virgin olive oil
• Allergen note: contains traces of celery
• Certification: Organic
• Processing: hand-peeled, cooked for 3 hours, pasteurized
• Preservatives: none
• Origin: Agios Panteleimon, Amyntaio, Florina, northern Greece

Frequently Asked Questions

• How hot is it?
  It is a hot spread, made with hot Florina pepper alongside sweet roasted red pepper. Start with a small spoonful on bread or stirred into a sauce, and add more to taste.
• What is Piperoktima?
  Piperoktima is the name the Naoumidis family gives to this pepper spread. The name plays on piperia (pepper) and ktima (estate), and the spread is made on the family's pepper estate in Florina.
• Why does one jar take so many peppers?
  The peppers are cooked for 3 hours so the water leaves and the flavor concentrates. The producer states that one 260 g jar starts as roughly 3 kg of fresh peppers.
• How do I store it after opening?
  Refrigerate after opening and keep the surface covered with a thin layer of the olive oil from the jar.
• Does it contain allergens?
  The producer notes that it contains traces of celery. It also contains sunflower seeds.