Perfect for pizza, super on salad, piquant on pasta!
If you like spice, if you regularly partake of those red chile flakes every time you go out for pizza, if you like to support values-aligned, and/or woman-owned businesses, if you’re looking for a gift to give a pal who likes a little heat in their cooking, these special Calabrian Chile Flakes could well be for you! They come from our friends at Boonville Barn Collective in the Anderson Valley—one of a handful of California farms that grow chiles at scale for drying—four acres, all harvested by hand. They are beautiful to look at and tasty to eat!
Co-owner Krissy Scommegna first got to know dried chiles when she worked in the kitchen at the Boonville Hotel in northern California. She fell in love. Not long after, she decided to turn her newfound passion into a livelihood, setting out to grow peppers on her family’s farm. After many years of hard work—learning from mistakes along the way—she finally began producing enough of this incredible, farmstead red pepper to share with folks like us. Together with her husband, Gideon Burdick, they’re doing amazing work: sustainable farming, careful drying of freshly harvested peppers each fall, and producing chile flakes with stunning color, incredible aroma, and a spicy—though not overwhelming—flavor.
Everything we get from them is top-notch, but lately, I’ve been especially enamored with these outstanding Calabrian Chile Flakes! Krissy shares,
These Calabrian chile flakes are our response to the ubiquitous shakers of red chile flakes at pizza shops. We wanted to grow the perfect chile for pizza and actually know what kind of chile it is. They really are pretty damn delicious and so much more flavor than any other red chile flake out there. We spent a few years trying to find the right kind of chile to turn into a classic crushed red chile and it took a bit to find the right one. I was tired of “crushed red chile” being so meaningless as far as what it could possibly be made from (generally a mix of various chiles!) and was frustrated with myself that even though I was a producer of very specific chiles, I was still willing to add the “I really don’t know what this is” red chiles from a pizza place onto my food (and would do so regularly). I wanted to find something from Puglia in Italy where my family is from but we couldn’t find any that would work and came upon these seeds with an original lineage back to Calabria. They are a total hit and can be used really on anything. Writing for The Kitchn, Stella Tortino—who herself comes from Calabrian heritage—says,
… hands-down best Calabrian chile flakes I’ve ever had are from an unexpected source … Boonville Barn Collective. … All products are grown with organic and sustainable practices—they’re even Renegade Certified! — and individually picked by hand. Bottom line: This is the (really) good stuff, and it’s incredibly fresh. But beyond the texture and size of these spicy bits, the flavor is top notch. It’s slightly acidic (in all the right ways), a teeny bit earthy (adding complexity, not just spice), super bright (think tomato-y), and, of course, spicy. The pique is drawn out, first hitting you with the complex, grounded, and citrusy notes, then hanging back to give your tongue an exciting zing after you’ve finished chewing. All the while, you’re not overpowered by the taste of spicy itself; instead, the flavors work harmoniously to add a welcome layer of yum onto whatever it is you’re eating. … Even my Nona would approve. The Boonville Barn Collective Calabrian Chile Flakes are pretty much good on anything. Sprinkle on your salad, pasta, pizza, avocado toast, and more. I’ve added them to soups, anchovies and sardines, and roasted vegetables. If you like a little spice—and sustainable spice at that—you won’t go wrong with these. Kudos and appreciation to Krissy and the whole team at the farm in Boonville for making the idea into such a tasty reality for the rest of us to enjoy!
