Outstanding Taste from a Magical Land.

Uku is a Peruvian brand created with passion, it is a tribute to the ancient culture and the Peruvian chili, the essential ingredient that makes Peruvian cuisine one of the best in the world.

Our chilli pastes and sauces are made from the best Peruvian ingredients according to traditional recipes that were carefully adapted to the chef’s needs. In short, our salsas and pastes give a very subtle spicy kick, but no burning sensation.

Uku was, according to the mythology of the Andean cultures, the name of a magical and underground world associated with the harvest, and symbolised, among other things, fertility and rebirth.

For us, UKU is the taste of Peru. In collaboration with peruvian Michelin chef Jonathan Guardia, Taste of Peru ApS has developed three different chilli pastes that are both used in peruvian cuisine and the trendy japanese-peruvian Nikkei cuisine.

Our philosophy is that it should be easy to cook the food that has made Peru South America’s gastronomic darling. Whether you are a professional or an amateur chef. UKU is your shortcut to authentic Peruvian flavour in your next ceviche or lomo saltado.

Our chillies are different and unique.

Chilli peppers are in the DNA of the Peruvian cuisine. The country has more than 50 different types. However, although there is often chilli in Peruvian food, it does not necessarily mean that they give it a hot taste. They give the chillies a boil before using it in any food preparation.

This is where UKU comes into the picture.

We have developed three unique chilli pastes based on the following chilli types: ají amarillo, ají panca and rocoto, which are the essence of Peruvian cuisine. Our concentrates consist of pure chilli and do not, like other chilli pastes, contain any potato or manioc starch as a filling. UKU is the pure commodity. We have also focused the entire store on delicate and subtitle taste that enhances the food rather than overpowering it. We call it turning up the taste and down the flare.

Salsa Madre – our staple sauce that uplifts ALL dishes

We don’t mean to brag. But we’ve created our own Salsa Madre (Mother Sauce) which is ingenious in warm dishes from all cuisines, whether you cook Peruvian, if you prefer Nordic style cooking, or if you have a different preference.

A Salsa Madre is a staple sauce we use in Peru to ‘start a red dish’. Practically, this means that it is one of the first ingredients to hit the pan where it’s getting a fry before meeting onion, garlic, meat, vegetables and spices. The mother sauce is a sauce that functions as a base for the preparation of all the red dishes of Peruvian cuisine, such as: adobos, stews, rice with seafood, soups and chupes. It will help you start an infinity of dishes from the Peruvian gastronomy in an easy and fast way.

Our Salsa Madre isn’t hot (spicy) – at all – so if you want your food hot, you use it in combination with chili and other spices. Salsa Madre is deep, flavorful and aromatic. It gives your dishes that little undefinable extra that will make you crave your next bite.

Ají amarillo [pronounced a-hí amarijo]

Ají Amarillo [pronounced a-hí amarijo] The yellow ají amarillo (Capsicum baccatum) is the most widely used chilli in peruvian cuisine and, according to star chef Gastón Acurio (Peru’s answer to Claus Meyer in Denmark), is the most important ingredient in the country’s cuisine. The 10-15 cm long chilli changes colour from green to yellow before it reaches a deep orange colour as fully mature. Ají amarillo has a citrusy aroma with a touch of raisin, passion fruit and mango that gives every dish a very special taste.

Use: For classic Peruvian dishes such as ceviche and tiradito, ají de gallina and lomo saltado. Ají amarillo is also used in soups like sopa criolla and casserole dishes such as chupes as well as in creamy sauces such as crema de huacatay and salsa huancaína.

Tip: Ají amarillo can also be stirred into a dressing that goes well with French fries and burgers.

Strength: Mild

Glass jar: 205g

Doypack with lid: 1kg (HORECA).

Ingredients: 92% yellow chili pepper (capsicum baccatum), soybeanoil, salt, citric acid E330, sodium benzoate E211, taragum E417.

May contain traces of peanuts, mustard, egg and milk.

Suggested use: to sauces, dressings, stews. Perfect for peruvian ceviche and the japanese-peruvian Nikkei cuisine.

Keep in a cool and dry place. Refrigerate after opening.

Ají Panca [pronounced a-hí panka]

Panca chili (Capsicum Chinese) is also known as ají especial, special chilli, and is, along with the yellow ají amarillo, among the most widespread chillies in Peru.There is a reason for this. It has a fruity and aromatic smoked taste as well as a mild lingering heat, which gives any ingredient a deep flavour fullness and a nice red colour. The 8-13 cm long chilli is especially used in its dried variety, where it gets a almost reddish, chocolate-like colour.

Use: For marinating meat, fish and seafood. Ají panca is also good in casseroles and soups and a perfect match in the barbecue kitchen, where it dresses grilled chicken, pork and more. In Peru, it is also used in traditional dishes such as picantes, chupes, anticuchos, adobo and seafood parihuela.

Tip: Let the ingredients marinate for 2 hours (the best is to leave it overnight). Add a dash of chicha de jora or dark Peruvian Cuzqueña beer to the marinade.

Strength: Mild

Glass jar: 205g

Doypack with lid: 1kg (HORECA).

Ingredients: 94,3% panca chili pepper (capsicum chinense), salt, citric acid E330, sodium benzoate E211.

May contain traces of peanuts, mustard, egg and milk.

Suggested use: adds a wonderful and subtle spicy note to marinades, stews, stir-fries. sauces, soups or dressings, including peruvian and nikkei-style recipes.

Keep in a cool and dry place. Refrigerate after opening.

Rocoto [pronounced rokoto]

Rocoto (Capsicum pubescens) on the outside resembles a pepper for confusion, but burns like a medium-strong chilli. It is juicy like a steak tomato and gives every dish a fruity spice without even burning.

Use: For marinating meat, fish and seafood. Rocoto is good in casseroles and sauces and is also ideal in the ceviche and Nikkei kitchen. In southern Peru, you will eat rocoto relleno, filled with rocoto pepper, and the chilli is also ground to molido along with onions, olive oil and garlic.

Tip: Can be eaten directly from the glass or stirred into a delicious chilimayo as a

Strength: medium hot.

Glass jar: 205g

Doypack with lid: 1kg (HORECA).

Ingredients: 98,79% red hot pepper (capsicum pubescens), salt, citric acid E330, taragum E417, potasium sorbate E202, sodium benzoate E211.

May contain traces of peanuts, mustard, egg and milk.

Suggested use: adds a spicy note to any sauce and also great for mixing with mayonnaise. Perfect for cevoche and the japanese-peruvian Nikkei cuisine.

Keep in a cool and dry place. Refrigerate after opening.

Mother Sauce [Salsa Madre]

A Salsa Madre is a staple sauce we use in Peru to ‘start a dish’. Practically, this means that it is one of the first ingredients to hit the pan where it’s getting a fry before meeting onion, garlic, meat, vegetables and spices.

The mother sauce is a sauce that functions as a base for the preparation of all the red dishes of Peruvian cuisine, such as: adobos, stews, rice with seafood, soups and chupes. It will help you start an infinity of dishes from the Peruvian gastronomy in an easy and fast way.