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Ajvar: Codename Red Pepper Spread
Ajvar. Many folks in the US have no clue what it is. Honestly, I was one of them until I traveled to the Balkans. During my initial trips, I would see it spelled and not know that it was pronounced "eye var", but now I know and now I love it.
Basically, as you can see with the Wikipedia link provided, it's a spread made from red bell peppers, garlic, and some eggplant. The mixture varies from region to region, but whatever the case, it's good on just about everything. And whatever it isn't good on, use Nutella. The Slavs who eat it, will always warn you that's it's really spicy. For someone from the Northern Midwest who has never had Mexican food, maybe it is. For me, it was about as spicy as red onions and garlic. A decent pep, but nothing crazy.
So, once I got a taste for this delicious treat, I naturally wanted to find it in the US. No such luck. Supposedly, you can find it at "ethnic" stores in some areas that mainly import Russian food. Ask the people working there and they'll shake their head and not know what you're talking about.
I was somewhat dumbfounded and had no idea why I couldn't find this red demon spread anywhere. Then, one day when at the eternal Trader Joe's, my girl and I were browsing the spreadables aisle and came across "red pepper spread" that was made in Bulgaria. This seemed promising, so naturally we bought it. Once home, we found out that yes, this was indeed ajvar. While not as tangy or amazing as the ones we've both had in the Balkans, it was a very passable substitute.
The moral of the story is that if you're looking for Ajvar, look for Red Pepper Spread. And if you can't find it at your local market or even Whole Foods (what's up with that?!!), then check out the TJ's and try, try, try to avoid buying the cheesecake.

