People visiting the village of Espelette in autumn may be surprised to see long threads of bright and red, small peppers. This is the first step to get the famous “Piment d'Espelette”, France's only native pepper.

Fabrication process of the Piment d'Espelette

The Espelette pepper, "Ezpeletako bipera" in Basque language, is an annual plant. It can be 50 or 60 cm high. Each plant produces about 20 “peppers”, that is about 600 or 700 grams.

Sowed in a "hot bed" in March, it's then planted outside between April and July. The peppers are hand-harvested when they are red on at least 80% of their body, from mid-august to the coming of the cold.

One "Piment of Espelette", different textures

Piment of Espelette can be purchased in various formats:

	In paste: to flavor a sauce In powder: on grilled meats or in sauces. On pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, eggs, in sandwiches. As a cream: milder than the paste, it can be used as you would use a mayonnaise. In a brine (Salted aqueous solution in which one can preserve vegetables). As a pickle: for the "young" "piments d'Espelette".

History of the Piment d'Espelette

This pointed variety of chili pepper was brought to Europe by a companion of Christopher Columbus. It was then cultivated in Spain and in the Espelette region.

During the 17th century, Bayonne (the closest largest city nearby Espelette), was the number one city in the manufacturing of chocolate in the kingdom. The "piment d'Espelette" was used in some chocolate's recipes to give it some taste.

Later on, in the 18th century, it started to be used to season the famous "Jambon de Bayonne" (Bayonne hams) and some other charcuterie items such as paté, sausages and pies.

As far as the people of Espelette could remember, they have always used the "piment d'Espelette" instead of regular black pepper.

In 1999, an AOC (Appelation d'origine controlé) was granted to Espelette peppers and products. This label was given to protect this product from North African products that were commercialized under the name of "Piment d'Espelette". Only ten communities are allowed to use the name Espelette: Espelette, Ainhoa, Cambo les Bains, Halsou, Itsassou, Jatsou, Laressore, St. Pee sur Nivelle, Souraide, and Ustarritz. The total growing area is about 3,000 acres.

The banana is the fruit of the banana tree which is actually not a tree but a giant herb (having no wood at all). The banana tree can reach up to 15 meters height depending on the variety.

Each banana tree produces only one banana stem in its life span. But nature being what it is, before it dies, new stems are developed from buds in the rootstock.