Espelette pepper, the red gold of the Basque Country

Throughout the fall, it is the peak season for picking Espelette pepper, the only spice with a protected designation of origin in France.

Have you ever seen these cords, hanging from the facades of Basque houses? Their length is regulated and they must hold at least 20 red peppers. This is one of the conditions for claiming the AOP Espelette pepper, the only protected designation of origin in France for a spice.

Another condition is that the producer must be located in one of the 10 recognized municipalities, and thus benefit from the local microclimate, with generous rainfall, mild temperatures in winter, and the south wind, the Haizé Egoa, which blows with the same intensity day and night. This allows for an initial drying of the pepper on the plan, before a second phase in a greenhouse for 15 days, and finally 48 hours in the oven.

Upon arrival, Mélanie Magis, from the Kultur Piment farm in Cambo-les-Bains, obtains a product with unique characteristics: “It has organoleptic qualities with its red color, on the nose it has aromas of dried hay, fruity and toasted, and above all it leaves a length in the mouth with a spiciness that does not take over the other flavors. It is mainly used in powder form, but you can also cut the pepper on a string to add it to sauces or preparations.”

The harvest continues between August and December, by hand, passing each day through the rows of shrubs to pick the reddest fruits. The chilli pepper is the pride of everyone in the region, including Michelin-starred chef Clément Guillemot, from the Choko Ona restaurant in Espelette, a chef passionate about spices.

“I like spicy cuisine, whether it’s peppers, herbs, spices, chili peppers, including of course Espelette. But you shouldn’t stop yourself from looking for them elsewhere. Spices are dry products that travel. Let’s not forget that Espelette comes from South America.”

History indeed finds traces of chili pepper in Espelette, around 1650. Legend has it that it arrived directly from Mexico in a vagabond’s bag.