Sunday, November 20, 2011

Guam - Finadenne' Denanche (Hot Pepper Paste)

Guam's Finadenne' Denanche'

On Guam a BBQ isn't a BBQ without hot pepper. It is a must-have condiment. There are many different types of finadenne' and one of those is finadenne' denanche' (hot pepper paste).

Guam's finadenne' denanche' is a blend of freshly ground hot peppers and seasoning. Other optional ingredients such as garlic, vinegar, lemon, eggplant, and a whole array of other items can also be added. Everyone has their own special blend and the varieties of finadenne' denanche' blends are countless as their creators.

Here is how I make mine....

First go to your hot pepper trees and pick all the semi and ripe hot peppers. 


One of my hot pepper trees. This plant will get a whole lot bigger.

Once you have picked the hot peppers, you need to remove all the stems.

It is a tedious process.

I use hot peppers, garlic, apple cider vinegar, sea salt and a little garlic powder just in case I want it a little more garlicky.


Here is what I use.


Blend up the hot peppers with the 2 bulbs of garlic diced and 3/4 cup of apple cider vinegar.

Remove when pepper and garlic is blended into a paste.

You may have to blend the mixture in stages in order to complete the blending process as the mixture can be a little too thick for the blender to blend everything at one time.

Once you have completed the blending process, you can season it with 3 to 4 teaspoons of sea salt.

Taste the mixture to make sure the seasoning is suitable and adjust if needed. This is the fun part. Can you handle the taste test????

You should be left with about a quart of finadenne' denanche'.


You can use this to spice up just about anything. Even coat your favorite steak with it for a "real" peppered steak.

Hope you give this a try. I think you will get the hang of it and have this as an addition to your table fare. That is if it isn't too hot for you.

Until next time....

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi - I know this post is over 3 years now, but I also have my own boonie pepper plant, and have been experimenting with my own variety of denanche... I've been told to flash cook it as well because it brings out the heat. Is this true?

Also, how long does it keep before going bad? I keep my batches in the fridge, and have been told it won't go off.

Thanks!!

Rueben said...

Randal, thank you for your comment. Great to hear that you have your own boonie pepper plant growing and you make your own denanche.

It is true about cooking your peppers though with plain denanche it isn't necessary to cook it. It is hot enough on it's own and you will definitely need a gas mask. Remember this is how they make pepper spray. Try cooking your denenche in a small fry pan and you will know exactly what I'm talking about.

Now if you are going to mix veggies in with your denanche like eggplants, winged beans or if you include additions like miso sauce or crab meat or crab paste, then you will probably want to cook it to blend the flavors in but do so in the open air. It will not choke you up or make your eyes and sinuses run.

Storage, it is best not to make too much where it will be left in the refer for too long. It will not only lose it's potency but flavor as well. As with most things, Denanche is best when fresh.

Randal keep enjoying that hot stuff my friend.