Fefferoni

Fefferoni are the long pickled chilli peppers that come with your kebab – tangy, crisp and somewhere between mild and properly hot. The name is spelled both fefferoni and feferoni in Norwegian, and both spellings appear on the jars here. At FUDI, Turkish, Macedonian and Balkan brands sit side by side: Jasmin, Sera, Plivit, Melis and Mediteran, in jars from 180 grams to three litres.

Mild or hot

The mild ones are pale yellow to green, thin-skinned and mainly tangy – the kind you can eat plenty of. The hot ones are usually the same peppers picked later, or a different variety with more heat. You notice them, but they are no habanero. Sera Baby Feferoni are the small ones that fit whole on a meze platter. Jasmin Fefferoni Pickles in three litres is made for kebab shops and large gatherings.

How to use them

Straight from the jar alongside kebab, pizza and grilled food. Chopped into a salad with tomato and onion, or piled onto a burger. The brine is worth keeping: it works in dressings and for steeping onion rings overnight. See also the rest of the Middle Eastern kitchen.

Storage

An unopened jar keeps for years in the cupboard. Once opened it belongs in the fridge, and the peppers must stay covered by the brine so they do not dry out. They will then keep for several months.

Frequently asked questions about fefferoni

What is fefferoni? A long, thin chilli pepper pickled in vinegar brine. It is milder than most people expect, and is used as a side rather than as a seasoning. Norwegian jars carry both spellings, fefferoni and feferoni – they are the same thing.

How hot is fefferoni? The mild ones are barely hotter than an ordinary sweet pepper. The hot ones sit roughly at jalapeño level, and pickling softens the heat further.

Is fefferoni the same as pepperoni? No. Pepperoni is a spiced sausage. Fefferoni is a pickled chilli pepper. The confusion comes from how similar the words look.

What is the difference between fefferoni and pickled jalapeño? Fefferoni is whole and long, tangy and mild to medium hot. Pickled jalapeño is usually sliced, shorter and a little fruitier. Fefferoni goes beside the food, jalapeño on top.

What is fefferoni served with? Kebab above all, but also pizza, cevapi, burek, burgers and the meze table.

See also turshu and Middle Eastern pickles and the full range of pickles and preserved vegetables.