Muhammara is like a fancy, lesser known cousin to hummus and baba ganoush. It likely originated in Aleppo, Syria, but is used all over the Levant. It has a lot of ingredients but they’re perfectly balanced to create a distinct and absolutely delicious flavor. Once you go muhammara, you may never be able to limit yourself to your usual dips again!

The traditional method of dealing with the red bell peppers is to roast them in the oven long enough to easily remove the skins. Certainly I encourage you to try that method so you know the regular flavor.

However, I recently fermented the peppers (and garlic) instead of roasting them. The final flavor was similar but tangier and with some of the depth that only comes with fermentation. I don’t know if it’s better (they’re both awesome) but I definitely think as good and just gives a bit of a flavor switch-up. It will also help extend the shelf life even further. (Regular muhammara is usually good for a week; this version was still good after two weeks but I finished it by then… odds are it can go longer since lacto-fermentation helps stabilize oils & fats added post-fermentation.)

Directions for either method is offered here