Merkén

Merkén or merquén (from the Mapuche mezkeñ [meʐˈkeɲ] or merkeñ [meɻˈkeɲ]) is a smoked chili pepper (or in Spanish, ají) used as a condiment that is often combined with other ingredients when in ground form.

[1] The base ingredient of merkén is the smoked pepper "cacho de cabra" (Capsicum annuum var.

longum), a dried, smoked, red pepper that is sometimes ground with toasted coriander seed and salt.

Once reduced to powder or flakes, the peppers are often mixed with salt and roasted ground coriander seed.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, merkén has drawn the attention of professional chefs and has begun to find an international market, at the same time, having a widespread use in Chilean cuisine.