Sweet Turkish Pul Biber - Mild Red Pepper Flakes (Tatli), No Heat

Sweet pul biber (tatlı pul biber) is the mild member of Turkey's pepper-flake family — coarse, brick-red flakes made from sweet red peppers, so you get the deep pepper flavor and color of pul biber with almost none of the heat. If the medium and hot grades are too much for your table, this is the one Turkish cooks reach for when feeding kids or anyone who flinches at chili.

It behaves differently from the pepper flakes most American kitchens know. Pizza-shaker flakes are sharp and brittle; sweet pul biber is softer and slightly oily to the touch, with a fruity, gently sweet taste closer to dried red bell pepper than to chili. It also is not paprika: paprika is a fine powder that mostly adds color, while these flakes keep texture in the dish and release flavor as they warm in fat.

That warming-in-fat trick is the classic use. Melt butter, stir in a spoon of these flakes until the butter turns red, and pour it over fried or poached eggs, mantı, rice, or fresh pide. The same red oil works drizzled over hummus, labneh, or roasted vegetables. Knead the flakes into köfte or meatball mixes, dust them over salads and grilled cheese, or add them to marinades and stews where you want pepper depth without raising the heat for the whole pot.

Four resealable sizes: 100 g to try it, 250 g and 500 g for regular cooking, and 1 kg for households that go through red butter sauce weekly. Peppers are harvested in season and traditionally dried before being flaked.