Favuzzi Magazine (English) November 2016 | Page 10

GROWN IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
SINCE THE 16TH CENTURY, ESPELETTE PEPPER
IS AN ICONIC INGREDIENT OF BASQUE COOKING
IN FRANCE, WHERE IT USED DAILY IN THE SAME WAY
WE USE BLACK PEPPER. SOMETIMES WRONGLY
CONSIDERED AS A HOT CHILI, ESPELETTE PEPPER
IS NO SPICIER THAN BLACK PEPPER. IN FACT,
IT IS RATED 4 OUT OF 10 ON THE SCOVILLE SCALE.
AS A COMPARISON, ON THIS SCALE USED TO MEASURE
THE HOTNESS OF PEPPERS, PAPRIKA IS A 6 AND
CAYENNE PEPPER IS AN 8. COVERED BY A DESIGNATION
OF PROTECTED ORIGIN, ESPELETTE PEPPER IS GROWN
EXCLUSIVELY IN SOME 10 SMALL COMMUNITIES
MAKING UP THE TOWN OF ESPELETTE,
IN SOUTHWESTERN FRANCE, FOLLOWING
STRICT PRODUCTION METHODS
TO ENSURE QUALITY.