Chefs are ever on the prowl for new flavors. Here, the latest:

Pimentón (from Spain), harissa (from Tunisia) and piment d'Espelette (from France)--spices all made from chiles.

Ají amarillo, a spicy pepper used at Manhattan's Pipa.

Dessert limes, with beads of intense flavor, in nondesserts at Union Pacific in Manhattan.

Sassafras, in a crust for leg of lamb, the preferred root at Seattle's Sazerac.

Yuzu moromi, made with miso, wood ear mushrooms and licorice, championed by New York's Jean-Georges.

Single-estate chocolate (made with beans from just one farm), favored at San Francisco's Ponzu.

Speck, an Italian cured meat featured at Portland's Pazzo.

Published April 2002