Flavour and a Warm Glow.
I am a chilli addict, I admit it. Chilli oil is an ingredient in almost daily use and now I have found one which is a step above most others. Banhoek Chilli Oil is outstanding and ticks all the culinary boxes for me.
Founders Ken Kinsey-Quick and Adi Meintjes share a passion for chilli oils, and pizza too. They reckoned that chilli oils served by most pizza restaurants just didn’t hit the spot, so they began experimenting over Sunday family lunches. After more than 60 different combinations of chillies and edible oils, they created their perfect product. Banhoek Chilli Oil started in the kitchen, quickly moved into the garage and finally, in 2020, to a permanent home in the heart of the Cape Winelands.
Their attention to detail starts with the packaging, making Banhoek Chilli Oil gift quality. The bottle is slim, gently tapered and it sports an eye-catching label. The clear glass showcases that orange-red oil, which offers a treat for discerning taste buds.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The ingredients that go into Banhoek Chilli Oil are just as unique. Their chillies and canola (rapeseed) oil are grown in the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest yet most diverse of the world’s six Floral Kingdoms. Its distinctive flora led to it being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site! The Cape Floral Kingdom is home to the unique fynbos vegetation. The fynbos is an area of natural shrubland located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa.
The chillies are grown locally, and once picked, the chillies are sun-dried, to give the desired colour, and hand crushed. After infusion with the oil it is drained, cooled and passed through a 16-stage filter to ensure consistency – and that beautiful clear oil.
Banhoek Chilli Oil is made for those of us who crave flavour as well as a little heat. Rapeseed oil is the perfect vehicle. It has a creamy mouthfeel allowing the fruity complexity of the chilli to linger. Yes, there is heat here, but mellow rather than overpowering. The oil enhances dishes rather than invading them.
Use this oil as a warming condiment. Elevate marinades and rubs. Add a splash to noodles, and introduce a little je ne sais quoi to almost anything savoury. It is also Halaal and Kosher certified, FSSC 22000 certified, and vegan friendly.
Banhoek Chilli Oil is available in the UK at a host of fine food outlets.