SMOKED PEPPER - FRAGRANCE FROM THE COUNTRY OF THE CONCISTADORS

During his second voyage to the New Lands, Christopher Columbus brought the first peppers to Europe and served them to the Spanish king and queen. The royal family accepted the new spice with reservations and it was handed over to the monasteries for cultivation. The monks managed to preserve and distribute it. Thus, in the 16th century, the cultivation of pepper began in the gardens of the monastery of Eustace in the region of Extremadura by the monks of the Order of St. Jerome.

Today, the best red pepper in Spain is still produced not far from the monastery gardens in the fertile alluvial soils around the Tietar River in the La Vera Valley, where the climate is mild and the rain is abundant. Here, farmers grow different varieties of red pepper Capiscum, each with a different degree of spiciness.

Estemadura, an area with a heroic history known as the cradle of the conquistadors, is today one of the poorest regions in modern Spain, without developed industry but also without environmental pollution. The humid climate with frequent rainfall in autumn, when the harvest is harvested, is the reason to create the original technology for drying peppers. To protect them from mold, peppers are not left outdoors in the sun. Instead, they are stored in special two-storey dryers. On the first floor, a slow fire of moist oak trees is maintained for a lower temperature and more smoke. No other wood may be used to dry and smoke the peppers on wooden grills on the second floor. It is the moist oak wood that gives the typical taste and aroma of Pimenton de la Vera.

The drying process lasts two weeks, during which the peppers are turned by hand every day. After drying, the seeds are removed and the peppers are ground in mills with stone wheels, which move extremely slowly to reduce the release of heat, which can damage the taste and color of the pepper.

This ancient technology for the production of smoked pepper is still used today and it is a guarantee for the uniqueness of the product. Since 1998, smoked pepper Pimenton de la Vera has been protected by a certified designation of origin - this is a guarantee for us, the end users, that we will receive an authentic product. A government-led regulatory board monitors all stages from growing and harvesting to pepper production to ensure strict compliance with all quality standards.

Spanish smoked pepper Pimenton de la Vera has a strong, penetrating taste and aroma of smoke. The color is bright, deep red. The product has a strong coloring ability. The taste, aroma and color are very stable for a long time, mostly as a result of the slow drying process used. Suitable spice is for meat, fish, bean soup, vegetables. Gives dishes the characteristic aroma of food prepared on charcoal.

Source: NaturaBg