Sweet pepper, Espelette chilli pepper, Guernika chilli pepper, Tolosa guindilla pepper,the cuerno de cabras pepper, they all are essential chilli peppers to our Basque gastronomy.
• Anglet sweet pepper - (Lapurdi) :
Very appreciated in its own area, it is an essential ingredient of Basque Cuisine. Traditionally eaten when it is green, it turns red when it reaches maturity, but keeps a sweet taste. Among the historical producers, we have to remember, the Bernardine sisters and jean Moyrie. This sweet pepper is mostly available from May to October on the Basque markets stands.
• Espelette chilli pepper - (Lapurdi) :
It stems from the « gorria » variety. The fresh fruit is between 7 and 14 cm long. It has a rather „stocky” coned shape with a sharp and slightly round extremity. Its smooth skin turns red when it reaches maturity. Once dried, it gets a dark red colour In June 2000, it gained the PDO, Protected Designation of Origin,( Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC)) .10 villages including Espelette, are allowed to grow it under this designation. The average production of Espelette pepper chilli powder reaches 62 tonnes every year.
The designation Basque chilli pepper (sweet or hot) can also be found; it corresponds to a downgraded (just like for cheese and wine). It can as well correspond to a production of the Gorria variety which doesn’t follow the AOC specification, but it may unfortunately fit in with any kind of chilli pepper that has been grown in the Basque country......This production only represents 3 to 4 tonnes of powder a year.
• Gernika chilli pepper- Gernikako Piperra - (Vizkaia) :
This chilli pepper has gained the Basque Label of Alimentary Quality. Approximately 60 tonnes of this pepper are sold every year. This green and rather small chilli pepper is mostly used up in Bizkaia. It can be fried or eaten as a snack, to go along with a drink. On the last Monday of October, it has its own market!
• Tolosa guindilla peppers- Langostinos d' Ibarra - (Gipuzkoa) :
This rather spicy chilli pepper is originally long, (12 to 15 cm) and thin. Its colour turns to a yellowish green as it is picked up. Prepared in white wine vinegar, it is traditionally savoured with beans or as a « pintxo » (spanish snack, tapas)
• Lodosa piquillo pepperLe Piquillo de Lodosa - (Nafarroa) :
The Piquillo pepper got its designation in Lodosa thanks to the « peculiar end of its twisted little pick ». After being burnt and peeled off, it is canned in brine so that its fine and delicately spicy flesh can be savoured. It is known as the „red gold» of the Basque province of Navarra. In February 1987, it gained a Protected Designation of Origin. The production area is located in the zones of Lodosa, Andosilla, Carcar, Sartaguda and Mendavia.
• The cuerno de Cabra - (Nafarroa) (Navarra) :
Just like for Espelette chilli pepper,the goat horn, is left to dry on the façades of the houses of Navarra, and , as a fresh fruit, it is turned into a pepper chilli paste once the skin has been peeled off and the seeds removed, (Chilli pepper flesh, choricero).
Once dry, it is rehydrated in warm water and its soften skin is then scraped off. Traditionally it is one of the main ingredients of the Bizkaian sauce, unfortunately, it is nowadays being replaced by tomato.
