IASA Hot Pepper in Olive Oil

This sweet, smoky chili paste from Italian company, Ittica Alimentare Salerno (IASA), is made from locally-grown hot peppers from Salerno. The round heat from this fiery, condiment fills the mouth lingering on the palate. Use to add a kick to dressings, marinades and pasta sauces.

Because of its close proximity to the sea, nearly every family in Cetara, a village tucked away in a small cove of the Amalfi Coast, has a connection to it. One of these families is the di Mauro family. Francesco di Mauro, a retired Navy Captain, founded Ittica Alimentare Salerno (IASA) and was among the first companies to preserve the bounty of tuna and anchovies brought in by the local fishermen.  Today, Francesco’s dynamic sons and daughter manage IASA. During the fishing season, April through September, the company employs a team of 50 local workers. IASA is the only company in Italy that does most of the work of packing the anchovies by hand - Gutting and cleaning the fish, placing layers of anchovies in drums with sea salt, and hand packing the anchovies in jars.