Which Chile Paste Should I Buy?

"At their simplest, chile pastes are made from blended, crushed or chopped fresh or dried chiles that are mixed with oil, water or other liquids. Unlike hot sauces, which are overwhelmingly used as table condiments, chile pastes can often be building blocks in recipes. They can be cooked in oil to deepen their taste, or left raw for punchy verve. Many often include other seasonings, such as vinegar, salt, aromatics, spices or herbs, making them well-balanced enough to be used as a topping, sauce or"

"Harissa is at once earthy, musky and fruity, with a floral spiciness that can range from very mild to fire-breathing hot depending on the chiles used. This versatile Tunisian paste of ground dried chiles, garlic, spices (commonly coriander and caraway), olive oil and, sometimes, vinegar or lemon juice, is traditionally made with mild baklouti peppers, named for the city of Bekalta in Tunisia."

"All varieties will make dishes so wholly delicious you can't resist going in for another bite. There are countless chile pastes around the world, from Peru's aji amarillo to South Africa's piri piri to China's doubanjiang, and all are worth trying. Here, we dive into eight types that are available in many stores and offer a range of tastes, textures and uses. Make some room in your pantry you might just want them all."

Chile pastes are made by blending, crushing, or chopping fresh or dried chiles with oil, water, or other liquids, often combined with seasonings like vinegar, salt, aromatics, spices, or herbs. They differ from hot sauces by functioning as building blocks in recipes, able to be cooked in oil to deepen flavor or left raw for freshness. Some pastes pair well with rich ingredients such as butter or bacon to temper heat. Global varieties include Peru's aji amarillo, South Africa's piri piri, China's doubanjiang, and North Africa's harissa, which is earthy, musky, fruity and commonly uses baklouti peppers.

Read at cooking.nytimes.com