Hot Pepper, 'Basque'

The “Espalette” chili pepper (Piment d'Espelette in French, Ezpeletako biperra in Basque) is a culinary icon of Basque Country with a production area limited to 10 villages nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. The pepper is the first, and currently the only spice in France to carry the European Union’s “PDO” (protected designation of origin) label which both protects its name and regulates its process of production. Come late summer in the region, long ristras of the 4-5” long, conical scarlet pepper are a common site drying on the stuccoed facades of the homes. Our “Basque” is a PNW selection of this variety. Excellently suited to cooler climate production, it has become a reliable staple of our pepper patch. Topping out at about 4000 scoville units, it is mild to middling in spiciness giving it versatility in the kitchen to add flavor without overwhelming heat. In the Basque region it is often ground to a coarse powder and used as a finishing spice.
80 days. WG, UO

Packet: ~30 seeds