THE TASTE OF PERU, MADE SIMPLE

Authentic Peruvian Chili Pastes for Modern Kitchens

Crafted with traditional Peruvian ingredients and developed with chefs to bring depth, color and balanced heat to every dish.

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Rooted in Peru

About UKU

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

Our chili pastes and sauces are made from carefully selected Peruvian ingredients, following traditional recipes thoughtfully adapted to the needs of modern chefs. In short, our salsas and pastes deliver a subtle, balanced heat — without a burning sensation.

According to Andean mythology, “Uku” was the name of a magical underground world associated with harvest, 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 distinctive chili pastes used in both traditional Peruvian cuisine and the contemporary Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei gastronomy.

Our philosophy is simple: 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 flavor in your next ceviche or lomo saltado.

Our Signature Chillies

Crafted from Peru’s most iconic chilli peppers to bring depth, aroma and authentic flavour to your cooking.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.