French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
: ''piment d'Espelette'' ;
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
: ''Ezpeletako biperra'') is a variety of ''
Capsicum annuum
''Capsicum annuum'' is a fruiting plant from the family Solanaceae (nightshades), within the genus Capsicum which is native to the northern regions of South America and to southwestern North America. The plant produces Berry, berries of many color ...
Espelette
Espelette (; ; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It lies in the traditional Basque province of Labourd.
Sights
The town is attractive, with traditional Labourd houses and a castle. The protected ...
,
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon language, Gascon Occitan language, Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; ) is a Departments of France, department located in the Regions of France, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the southwest corner of metropolitan ...
, traditionally the
northern territory
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
of the
Basque people
The Basques ( or ; ; ; ) are a Southwestern European ethnic group, characterised by the Basque language, a common culture and shared genetic ancestry to the ancient Vascones and Aquitanians. Basques are indigenous to, and primarily i ...
.Larousse, p. 92. On 1 June 2000, it was classified as an AOC product and was confirmed as a PDO (French: AOP, Appellation d'origine protégée) product on 22 August 2002. Its flavor is described as sweet, fruity, and berry-like with a mild heat.
Chili pepper, originating in Central and South America, was introduced into France during the 16th century. After first being used medicinally, it became popular as a
condiment
A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...
and for the conservation of meats. It is now a cornerstone of
Basque cuisine
Basque cuisine refers to the cuisine of the Basque Country and includes meats and fish grilled over hot coals, '' marmitako'' and lamb stews, cod, Tolosa bean dishes, paprikas from Lekeitio, '' pintxos'' (Basque '' tapas)'', Idiazabal shee ...
, where it has gradually replaced
black pepper
Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit (the peppercorn), which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in diameter ...
and it is a key ingredient in
piperade
Piperade ( Gascon and French) or piperrada (Basque and Spanish), from ''piper'' (pepper in Gascon and in Basque), is a typical Gascon and Basque dish prepared with onion, green peppers, and tomatoes sautéd and flavoured with red Espelette ...
.Larousse, p. 804.
AOC/AOP espelette peppers are cultivated in the following communes: Ainhoa,
Cambo-les-Bains
Cambo-les-Bains (; ) is a town in the traditional Northern Basque Country, Basque province of Labourd, now in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Departments of France, department in south-western France. It lies on the south-western bank of the river Nive ...
,
Espelette
Espelette (; ; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It lies in the traditional Basque province of Labourd.
Sights
The town is attractive, with traditional Labourd houses and a castle. The protected ...
Ustaritz
Ustaritz (; ) is a town in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, southwestern France. It is located on the river Nive some inland from Bayonne. Ustaritz station has rail connecti ...
. Piment d'Espelette must be produced from the Gorria variety of ''
Capsicum annuum
''Capsicum annuum'' is a fruiting plant from the family Solanaceae (nightshades), within the genus Capsicum which is native to the northern regions of South America and to southwestern North America. The plant produces Berry, berries of many color ...
''. Irrigation is prohibited, except for the month after planting and the plant density must be 10,000 to 30,000 plants per hectare. They are harvested in late summer and, in September, characteristic
festoon
A festoon (from French ''feston'', Italian ''festone'', from a Late Latin ''festo'', originally a festal garland, Latin ''festum'', feast) is a wreath or garland hanging from two points, and in architecture typically a carved ornament depicti ...
s of pepper are hung on balconies and house walls throughout the communes to dry out. An annual pepper festival organized by Confrérie du Piment d'Espelette, held since 1968 on the last weekend in October, attracts some 20,000 tourists.
This pepper attains a maximum grade of only 4,000 on the
Scoville scale
The Scoville scale is a measurement of spiciness of chili peppers and other substances, recorded in Scoville heat units (SHU). It is based on the concentration of capsaicinoids, among which capsaicin is the predominant component.
The scale ...
and is therefore considered only mildly hot. It can be purchased as festoons of fresh or dried peppers, as ground pepper, or
purée
A purée (or mash) is cooked food, usually vegetables, fruits or legumes, that has been ground, pressed, blended or sieved to the consistency of a creamy paste or liquid. Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., appl ...
d or pickled in jars.
In California in the United States, non-AOC espelette peppers are grown and marketed.
According to the Syndicat du Piment d’Espelette, the cooperative formed to get the AOC designation, there are 160 producers of AOC Piment d'Espelette that plant and in 2014, they produced 203 tons of powdered Piment d'Espelette and 1,300 tons of raw pepper.