Épices Rœllinger Collection Of Chilli Peppers | French Spices<Piment d’Espelette F5 (France, Basque Country AOP)

Sylvain, our Espelette pepper grower, harvests his organically-grown chile peppers after they have fully ripened in the rich soil of the farm he inherited from his grandparents in Espelette, in the Basque region. In the breathtakingly beautiful spot, Sylvain also raises goats and grows corn.

From late August until the first frosts of November, the chile peppers are harvested by hand. They are immediately washed and sorted, then set on wicker racks to dry before being ground into a fine powder. Sylvain mills the Espelette peppers as well.

Traces of chile pepper cultivation in Espelette date back to 1650. Gorria is the chile pepper varietal (Capsicum annuum genus) that is now grown in Espelette.

Espelette pepper has had AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée) status since 2002. True Espelette pepper powder must be packaged in airtight bottles with the AOP label.