Paprika, Piment d'Espelette
Janet and Mike Johnston, founders of Savory Spice Shop, went to the Basque region of southwestern France in 2011. There they met with farmers of one of France’s most exclusive exports to the spice world, Piment d’Espelette. The meeting was educational and invaluable. They heard from farmers about their concerns regarding imitation product being produced and sold as Piment d’Espelette. These imitation products are of inferior quality, taste, and color; such products negatively affect the livelihood of these dedicated farmers. This information has changed how Savory Spice Shop will sell Piment d’Espelette moving forward.

Small Jar (20 grams)	$7.95
Large Jar (50 grams)	$15.75

We have always known that this French chile pepper was AOC (Appellation d’origine CONTRÔLÉE) protected to help maintain the quality of the product. However, after learning about their concerns we will no longer sell it from a bulk container. We will only sell it in prepackaged containers that have been labeled on site with the AOC stamp by the farmers themselves in accordance with European law. To further ensure that we are getting true Piment d’Espelette, we are now buying it direct from Edwige and Lionel, the farmers Janet and Mike had the opportunity to meet, learn from, and eat with during their visit to the Basque countryside.

Only around 3000 acres are used to grow all the Piment d’Espelette available.

Only a specific quantity of Piment d’Espelette is produced every year. Farming methods and traditional wisdom are passed down from generation to generation. After the chile has ripened to a bright red color, it is picked, dried and ground into a coarse bright orange powder.

Piment d’Espelette has a spiciness that is characterized by a bold, warm flavor. Try a little in soups or sauces but add toward the end of the cooking process to keep its full flavor. This paprika is also great on eggs, fish, meat, potatoes and other vegetables.

Piment d’Espelette or Espelette pepper is an AOC (Appellation d’origine CONTRÔLÉE) protected paprika from the southwest of France.