The word alchemy is derived from the Arabic “al-kimiya”, and historically, referred to the process of transmuting base metals into silver or gold. The word is closely linked with fables of the “philosopher’s stone”, which was reputed to perform said transmutation.
We have certainly been up to some transmutation at Èkó Street; but it is not of the dark type, and it certainly involves no stones! Truth be told, ours has not been as enriching as the medieval alchemists. However, by combining precious oil, premium chilli peppers and choice honey, we also achieved spectacular transformations. Four gems, to be precise. I will let you in on a secret; well, some aspects of it anyway 🙂
Did you know that chillis are good for you? We use carefully selected chilli peppers from approved sources, and “prepare” them over a few hours in readiness for infusion. Using an age-old formula, tweaked somewhat by many cycles of trial and error, we extract the flavour and heat from the peppers. The chilli peppers are combined with an olive oil that has been chosen to complement them, rather than grab the limelight.
The combination is carefully treated to elicit a full flavour without losing the zing. You might be forgiven for thinking you’ve let a genie out of the box, as the flavour rises out when you open one of our jars. It is quite a revelation. We’ve knocked all the rough edges off the peppers, so that all you get is the delightful goodness of well groomed oils and “jams”.
