O'Valley Farms - Aji Rocoto Hot (Peruvian Red Hot Pepper Paste), 7.5 oz (Pack of 6)

If you like spicy condiments this will not disappoint. Super good.

I like adding the pepper paste to tomato based pasta, beans, or seafood for a nice spicy kick.

I bought this product to try it and it was super good. You can taste the Rocoto. Great product.

Bereft, suffering through bland food and a tasteless existence since the comeuppance of Huy Fong hit the supply of Sambal Olek, I have oscillated between wandering a grey tasteless world aimlessly and being driven ceaselessly by a single purpose - to procure an adequate substitute. It is no small task to find pepper paste without sugar or a long list of unnecessary ingredients. Late one night, truly it was morning, I had 200 new tabs on my phone and crashed it twice when this showed up. Delirious from lack of sleep, water, and hungry in a way that I couldn't even feel anymore for all food was too bland and tasteless to appeal to any appetite, I managed to hit order before I passed out and forgot all about it.Imagine my surprise and unbridled joy when this little jar arrived. Unmatched. Never have I experienced such pure hope; a warm sensation flooded my body and radiated outward as tears welled up. I dashed back inside, clawing at layers of bubblewrap and tape to get to the precious sauce of taste and flavor. I ran into the kitchen sliding across the floor... but my fridge was empty. Good thing my boxers that day looked like shorts. +1 for socks with shoe decorations.1 cabbage and package of bacon later and I am frying up what will be my first taste of real food in weeks. It may be of note that this is a weekday and I will have to report in as a sick day as I have quite neglected to remember that I was to be working. The sound of the jar seal popping almost made my heart stop. I put in my normal olek amount (half a jar) and stir it in, humming to myself. Towel, fork, and take the pot right over to the couch.Mind, I have consumed food since the onset of the shortage, the issue is that there was nothing to taste. I don't know if this dearth of pickled pepper paste contributes to the rest of this tale, but I want to make sure you, dear reader, know so that you may draw your own conclusions.I ate a quarter of the pot before I could taste anything. Tears of joy, or maybe of anticipation, streaming down my face. It was a bit too hot direct from the pan so soon. Then it came. Like a tide coming in the numb feeling in my mouth faded to a tingly wave emanating from my dormant tastebuds and filling my whole mouth to the furthest reaches of my gum line and inner cheeks. It was not until I devoured 2 more quarters of the pot that my throat rang alarm bells that it was ready to breathe iron-melting fire. I put the pot on the floor with a clank and jumped up, aiming for the kitchen but my shoulders outpaced my feet and I landed unceremoniously on a knee and my face.Three glasses of water later I returned to the couch with a fourth and finished the pot as sweat bubbled up from my skin and my eyes burned from wiping the tears now of pain. A spoonful of sour cream and I was perfectly fine by the time the dishes were washed up, minus the spot on the roof of my mouth that I burned.Ah, but the story does not end there.I would have posted sooner but I was... indisposed. It began with a burp or two in the evening. A bit of a full and bubbly feeling. I went to bed, slept, woke up a few hours later with some #2 discomfort. Pure liquid lava. That is what flowed from my private place into the cold stone throne. Cognitively I came to a consciously aware state faster than any alarm clock ever managed, just in time to not miss a single moment of the entire contents of my body seeming to empty out in a nearly water-thin liquid state in what had to be a 500F degree temperature judging by the burning feeling. Lava. It had to be on fire. Nothing but fire could feel like this I thought. I swear I could feel it melting the flesh it passed through.I am now laying on my cool bathroom floor, depleted. I feel empty and hollow, drained in every way imaginable. I can't even check that I still have a butt because it is too red and tender still. Word of advice - always double check the label, or at least taste test first. I'll update after the urgent care opens.

To be honest, I've never had Rocoto peppers before!!! Excited, curious, but with a lot of caution, I scooped up just a little bit and tested out on my lunch. Rest assure, this red pepper paste is hot and fiery! You can taste the spiciness instantly with just a little dab with my fingertip. So, if you love spicy food- the rocoto pepper will not disappoint!I'm no stranger to chili peppers. Jalapeno and Serrano being the most common type in Mexican food here in Southern California. Then, there are the tiny Thai Bird's Eye, and Chinese (or Sichuan) red pepper and flakes, Japanese 7 Shichimi pepper mix, and Korean pepper found in Korean Sundubu and other Korean spicy pots, etc, etc. Each has its own distinctive aroma. I'm not talking about the spiciness, but the aroma that fills the mouth when I eat a specific chili pepper. The rocoto does NOT have a intense aroma. It tastes like a mash of green pepper, tomato, bitter melon... especially the distinctive bitterness. This is not an ingredient to be enjoyed alone, but it needs to be combined and mixed into other ingredients/sauces or it can taste bland, boring and bitter. But, awesome spiciness!!!!Here is the weirdest part about rocoto pepper or O'Valley Farm Rocoto Pepper paste- extreme heat and spiciness, but it does not "build up"! All the chili pepper I mentioned above will build up with each bite to the point that I have to take a break and let the heat subside a bit or my mouth will be in deep pain. Rocoto peppers' heat comes out strong and it goes down, so basically you can enjoy the spiciness forever without breaking your mouth :) Highly recommended! Wish the pepper can be just a bit sweeter instead of bitter.

I soaked my boneless skinless chicken breasts in this rocoto pepper sauce over night and then airfryed the chicken the next day. So spicy and I loved it. I used a heaping tablespoon of the sauce and it did not disappoint with the heat level. This is not for a weak palette but for people who enjoy great flavor and spice in their life. Really fantastic.

This O'Valley Farms - Aji Rocoto (Red Hot Pepper Paste), is okay. The flavor of it tastes like a bland pepper with a bunch of heat that hits you right in the throat. I wish there was more flavor to it before the heat, but I think it can easily be doctored with some spices. There aren't many ingredients to this, the first 3 are peppers, water and salt and that's about all you'll taste. The consistency is like a smooth, or slightly watered down ketchup making it easily spreadable.

This paste packs a punch! Seriously don't be fooled on "red pepper" - which the vegetable is generally mild, this paste is HOT! Has great flavor to it as well. I've added it on top of pizza and also mixed it into my pasta sauce and I loved it in both! Going to keep experimenting with this paste. Recommend if you're a spicy fan!