Tone"s Crushed Red Pepper can best be described as hot, red pepper flakes; it is actually the dried fruit pod and seeds of a capsicum pepper. The flavor is hot, pungent and biting. Tone"s Crushed Red Pepper Skoville heat unit is 15-30,000 in comparison to paprika, which contains a heat value of under 500 units. Serving Suggestions Use in Italian, Asian and Mexican dishes. Goes well in meatballs, cheese dips, chili and pizza. Try it anywhere heat and a visual appearance is desired. Sprinkle on seafood, jambalaya and pastas or add to salsas and barbecue sauces. Delicious in chili con carne, shrimp alfredo and stir-frys. Use sparingly as this product contains a high amount of heat. Be careful when cooking with this product as the oils from it will sting eyes and cuts. Either add to foods while cooking or after cooking. Start with a dash per serving and adjust from there.