Espelette pepper - bulk

Aop - organic - demeter

from: Epices, Thés & Infusions en VRAC (Europe)

Espelette chilli pepper, a certified chilli pepper.
The red gold of the Basque Country produces a sensation of long-lasting heat on the palate, with a hint of bitterness. In cooking, the Espelette chilli pepper replaces the classic pepper, although its tomato-like aromas differ.

Originally from Central America, the Espelette chilli pepper is a variety of Capsicum annuum traditionally grown in the Basque Country. It is prized for its slender red fruits, which measure up to 15 cm in length.
Used to spice up dishes with its hot flavour, rated 4 on the Scoville scale, Espelette chilli peppers are dried beforehand to ensure a long shelf life.

The star ingredient of Basque cuisine, the Espelette chilli pepper was imported from Mexico in the 17th century, before finding a home in the village of Espelette and establishing itself firmly in local culture. Traditionally, it is celebrated on the last weekend of October in Espelette, which corresponds to the end of the harvest season.


The Pyrenees-Atlantiques region is home to a climate and soil ideally suited to growing Espelette chilli peppers, which soon replaced pepper, which was much more expensive at the time. Today, it is the only spice in France to be awarded the PDO label. Under the impetus of its producers, it was first awarded an AOC (protected designation of origin) in 2000, then the PDO in 2002. Ten communes, where the climate is hot and humid, produce Espelette chilli pepper under the AOC and AOP designations: Ainhoa, Cambo-les-bains, Halsou, Itxassou, Halsou, Larressore, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, Souraïde, Ustaritz and of course Espelette. Among the criteria that guarantee the quality of the know-how are hand-picking and the absence of additives and other preservatives.

Store away from light and moisture.

Ingredients
100% Espelette chilli pepper