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Piment D Espelette Where To Buy
This sweet and spicy Basque espelette pepper is locally grown in California and meticulously hand harvested by farmer Nacho in the small town of Boonville. It has recently been featured in the New York Times Cooking and Cherry Bombe Magazine but we've been in love with this versatile and unique spice since the beginning. Prized by French chefs, this ingredient was only available imported from France until a Napa Valley chef committed to sustainability made it his mission to bring the seeds to his own farm.
piment d espelette where to buy
How can a little jar of crushed red peppers have the same appellation as a Chateau Lafitte Rothschild grand cru? Piment d'Espelette, the first spice to receive the prestigious French A.O.C., are grown and air-dried in the small Pays Basque village of Espelette where soft ocean breezes help grow a unique paprika. Milder than cayenne, more smoky than the Hungarian but less so than the better known Pimenton de la Vera, piment d'Espelette is the stuff that gives Basque cooking its flavorful heat.
Until recently this French paprika was one of those French food souvenirs that travelers would stash in their suitcases next to tubes of truffle paste and jars of Hédiard jam. We had to carry these tiny glass jars of red powder back to our New York kitchens because it simply wasn't available here. But with cookbook masters like Paula Wolfert arguing that for cassoulets and daubes, the search was worth the trouble (substitutions only if you must!), some U.S. markets are making piment d'Espelette easier to buy.
Once grown in the Spanish and Portuguese monasteries, the Espelette pepper is a culinary legend in the Basque country of France. Named for the village where the best of them originate, the village of Espelette in southwest France, the peppers are traditionally used for hams, pâté s, sausages, pies and any Basque specialty dish. Spicy and intense without being overpowering, Espelette powder can be used to season any dish, but is especially brilliant in a piperade, a basquaise, or a béarnaise sauce.
The small town of Espelette in the Basque region of southwest France has its mildly smoky, sultry, absolutely sensational piment d'Espelette, the pepper grown nowhere else on Earth. And they have a festival every year, to celebrate the harvest.
If you can't find piment d'Espelette (unless you live near a very good market, you won't find it, but it's easy to buy online), you can substitute hot paprika, mild New Mexico red chile powder, or a combination of the two with a bit of pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika) mixed in.
What is piment d'Espelette?A deep reddish-brown, flaky dried pepper with a mild smoky taste. It has a strong peppery kick, but not what you'd call "heat". Substitute it in recipes calling for urfa pepper, Aleppo pepper, or paprika.
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 and for the conservation of meats. It is now a cornerstone of Basque cuisine, where it has gradually replaced black pepper and it is a key ingredient in piperade.[2]
AOC espelette peppers are cultivated in the following communes: Ainhoa, Cambo-les-Bains, Espelette, Halsou, Itxassou, Jatxou, Larressore, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, Souraïde, and Ustaritz. They are harvested in late summer and, in September, characteristic festoons of pepper are hung on balconies and house walls throughout the communes to dry out.[2] 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.[3][4]
Piment D' Espelette-(Capsicum annuum)-The Piment D' Espelette is the most popular Basque pepper grown in the villages close to the Pyrenees mountains in Spain.It's real name is the Gorria pepper. When grown in certain regions the pepper itself and products made from it are given the name Piment de Espelette. Grown outside these areas it is called Gorria pepper. It is a protected status pepper variety. To explain this simply you cannot market this pepper in the EU nations unless it is certified to be grown in the designated areas that make it an official Piment D' Espelette. Many countries are doing this with wine and cheeses because they claim the area where they are made or cultivated due to climate, soil and other factors influences the quality. The Piment D' Espelette pepper therefore is an official Basque pepper. Like the Doux Des Landes pepper it is used to make traditional Piperade. However most people dry it and use it as a substitute for Black pepper as it has the same heat level but much more flavor! The Piment D' Espelette peppers can get about 5 inches long and almost and inch wide. They ripen from green to dark red. They are great for roasting and stuffing and in my opinion would make a nice sauce! The Piment D' Espelette chile plants grow just over 3 feet tall and are very productive!
As the peppers grow in Espelette and the villages nearby, they are green on the vine. Then the peppers are picked in the fall and hung to dry on balconies and buildings turning a deep red hue to form guirlandes de piments rouges (garlands of red peppers). Once dry, the peppers are often ground into a powder which you can buy in a small pot (jar) for about 6 euros.
Piment d'Espelette Pepper Powder by Nahia has a subtle pepper profile with hints of fruits and a light spiciness. The aromatic notes of Piment d'Espelette Pepper Powder by Nahia ensure it will transform most simple meals into a refined dish. The espelette peppers used are grown in the Basque Country of France, with the distinguished guarantee of origin (AOC), meaning no substitutes are used. The peppers are harvested, cleaned, sorted, and graded from August through November, as they reach maturity.
Suggested Applications: Piment d'Espelette Pepper Powder by Nahia is vital to Basque Country cooking, and can be used elsewhere in place of black pepper. Piment d'Espelette Pepper Powder by Nahia is perfect as a finishing touch to enhance the personality of a dish, especially seafood, meat, and vegetables. 041b061a72