If ají amarillo is the sunshine of the Peruvian kitchen, ají panca is its smoke and shadow, the deep burgundy chilli that gives so many of the country’s richest dishes their colour and depth. This aji panca paste from Inca’s Food is made from the sun dried red peppers blended smooth, delivering the pepper’s full character straight to the pan without the work of soaking and grinding.

The colour is a beautiful dark, brooding red, and the flavour is where this chilli truly distinguishes itself. The heat is mild and forgiving, which allows its complexity to come forward, a gentle smokiness, a soft natural sweetness, and an intriguing, almost fruity depth with notes of berries and dried fruit. It offers richness and warmth rather than fire, making it as much a flavouring as a spice.

It is the traditional heart of anticuchos, the beloved Peruvian grilled skewers, where it forms the marinade that gives the meat its dark colour and smoky depth, and it enriches adobos, slow stews, and hearty sauces across the cuisine. For a seafood kitchen it brings a warm, smoky base to marinades and sauces for grilled and roasted fish, and alongside ají amarillo it completes the pair of chillies on which authentic Peruvian cooking is built.

Why choose Sea House Red Chilli Pepper Paste?

• Authentic Peruvian chilli. Made from genuine sun dried ají panca, a pillar of Peru’s cuisine.
• Mild, smoky, and complex. Gentle heat with a smoky, slightly sweet profile and notes of berries and dried fruit.
• A deep, rich colour. Its dark burgundy tone brings warmth and depth to marinades and sauces.
• The base of anticuchos. Essential to Peru’s classic grilled skewers, adobos, and slow stews.
• Ideal for seafood and grilling. A smoky, ready to use base for marinades and sauces on grilled and roasted fish.