| |
What the heck are ... piquillo peppers?
 Maybe you've tried the stuffed piquillo peppers at Tapino. Or noticed those tiny strips of red in the lump crab bruschetta. Currently Tapino is featuring "spicy shrimp with garlic and piquillo peppers". All that begs the question, "just what is a piquillo pepper? Well folks, it's a long story. We'll start in the middle. Piquillo peppers are grown only in the Navarra region of Northern Spain along the Ebro River, and are a traditional specialty of Lodosa, a village in Navarra. They have only become commercially available in America in the last 25 years. They come from a unique variety of red peppers grown in Lodosa and surrounding area. Triangular in shape, piquillos ("little beak") have a uniquely curved tip. They are quite sweet, slightly piquant, and unlike anything you've ever tasted before.
 All true peppers are new world plants, originating in Southern Mexico and Central America. They were farmed in several varieties by the Aztecs and most other native Americans of Central America. When the Spanish arrived in the 14th century, they were intrigued by these fiery vegetables (actually, they are fruits) of the Capsicum plant and spread their seeds throughout the Spanish empire. (even the hot Thai chile peppers are originally natives of the Americas) After arriving back in mother Spain,  the peppers were bred and hybridized into many varieties. One of those was what we now call the "Piquillo" (Capsicum frutescens / annuum / baccatum) , grown only in the Ebro River Valley, in Northern Spain.
 During the months of September and October, Piquillo peppers are hand picked daily from each plant to ensure the perfect ripeness and shape. They are slow roasted outdoors over a wood fire, causing them to lose over 60% of their weight, and leaving them with a full intense flavor. Once roasted, they are then hand peeled and seeded. The peppers are not rinsed before they are packed, leaving them with specks of black charred skin - the hallmark of the Piquillo. There are no chemicals used in any stage of their preparation. Roasting the peppers on an open wood fire provides a distinctively rich flavor that becomes spicy as well as sweet tasting. All peppers exported from the region to the rest of the world are shipped canned in their own juices. There are no fresh piquillo peppers available in the US.
 Like all peppers, Piquillos are high in vitamin C, E, A, and B complex. They contain a very high Vitamin C level, comparable to most citrus fruits, and they also contain the equivalent amount of carotene as carrots. They have a high fiber content and are low in calories. They have an intense "pepper pod" taste with very little of the heat.
The simplest and most classic way to eat Piquillo peppers is to sprinkle them with salt and a few drops of fine olive oil. Another, is to roast or fry them gently with olive oil and garlic.
 They are a very versatile vegetable and can be cooked or used as a garnish with just about anything. Stuffed Piquillo peppers are perhaps the quintessential dish of the cuisine of Navarra... stuffed with meat, seafood or cheese. They are delicious, no matter how you fix them. They are a classic taste of Spain, and they are an ever present ingredient in the kitchen at Tapino.
|
|
