Espelette pepper

The Espelette pepper is a variety of pepper which is being cultivated in the French commune of Espelette, Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Since the 1st of June 2000 it is classified as a AOC product which has been confirmed to be a APO product on the 22nd of August 2002.

The plant, originally from Mexico and to a lesser extent South America, was introduced around the 16th century. After having served for medical purposes this plant has proven useful for the preparation of condiments and the conservation of meat and ham. It has since then taken a steady place in the Basque cuisine and gradually replaced the black pepper.

10 communes are involved in the cultivation of the Espelette pepper:

Ainhoa - Cambo-les-Bains - Espelette - Halsou - Itxassou - Jatxou - Larressore - Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle - Souraïde - Ustaritz.

In September festoons of pepper are hung on balconies and house walls to dry out providing the typical look of the villages. In the last week of October the annual pepper festival attracts some 20'000 tourists to Espelette.

This pepper attains only a grade of 4,000 on the Scoville scale and therefore can be considered not hot. It can be purchased as lampoons of fresh or dried peppers and also as purée or pickled in jars.