Wake up your senses and discover Merken!

I recently discovered the spice Merken while I was in Santiago, Chile at the farmers market. Merken is a blend of dried and smoked chilies, toasted coriander seeds, cumin and salt. It has a very smoky flavor and is a beautiful copper color. Merken can be used in many dishes, here are a few.

1.) Sprinkle on scrambled eggs or an omelet for an extra kick

2.) Sprinkle it on pizza instead of red pepper flakes

3.) Rub on beef or salmon before grilling

4.) Add to a soup

5.) Sprinkle on slices of cucumbers with a squeeze of lime (my favorite)

6.) Add to olive oil to use for dipping bread

7.) Sprinkle on pasta or tuna salad

8.) Sprinkle on a desert (goes especially well with dairy/cream)

9.) Sprinkle on the poached egg on top of your Eggs Benedict

10.) Add to the rim of a glass of a Pisco Sour (I know that sounds odd, but it’s actually very good)

(Santaigo , Chili)