05/12/2025
One of the most interesting parts of making our Chili Flakes is the smoking process. Taming the fire, keeping it alive at the desired intensity for the time needed to dry the whole peppers, is a process that carries the signature of its maker.
Upon harvest, the fresh peppers are moved to the smoking room on large, room-sized racks, leaving enough space underneath for the smoker to move the fire around as needed.
This traditional method can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, and during this time, one can sense the mellow, woody smell of slow-burning birch from a distance. The peppers are checked twice a day until they’re ready. Again, here: no machines. Just hands, and the pure instinct of knowing when to stop, which comes with experience. The peppers are also destemmed and crushed by hand, which is why these flakes can sometimes vary in size.
