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Spices & seasonings · Dried chillies

Urfa biber

Dark purple-black Turkish chilli flakes from Şanlıurfa, with a smoky, raisin-like, mildly hot flavour.

Also called: urfa pepper, isot, isot biber, urfa chilli flakes

Around the world: isot, urfa biberi (tr)

A kind of red chilli flakes

Read the full spice guide: flavour, history and how to use it

What it is

Urfa biber (also called isot) is a chilli from the Şanlıurfa region of southeastern Turkey. The ripe pods are sun-dried by day and wrapped at night so they sweat, which turns them deep purple-black and gives a smoky, chocolate and raisin flavour without smoking. They are then crushed, usually with a little oil and salt.

Capsicum annuum

How it’s used

  • Urfa and Adana-style kebabs
  • Sprinkled over eggs, yogurt dishes and grilled vegetables
  • Lahmacun and pide toppings
  • Rubbed on lamb and beef
  • Stirred into dips and grain salads

Characteristics

Taste
Earthy, smoky and sweet-sour like raisins, with mild heat that builds slowly.
Appearance
Moist, oily, very dark maroon to black flakes.
Sold as
flakes
Cooking uses
Mainly a seasoning, Used as a garnish
Common in
Turkish

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Airtight jar away from light and heat; the oils turn stale after about six months.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
318 kcal
Protein
12.01 g
Carbohydrate
56.63 g
Fat
17.27 g
Fibre
27.2 g
Sugars
10.34 g

USDA FoodData Central: Spices, pepper, red or cayenne (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Related ingredients

Recipes with urfa biber

No recipe in the catalogue uses it yet.

More dried chillies