Sweet, Smoky, and Delicious!

Piquillos are the king of Spanish peppers.

 

Amigos, there are many foods from Spain that I love and have shared with you already on Longer Tables—jamon, cava, olive oil, romesco and more! I can’t believe it's taken me so long to talk to you about Piquillo peppers, what I think of as the king of Spanish peppers. These bright, fire-engine red peppers are sweet, not spicy; we Spaniards don’t like hot peppers in general. They have a smoky flavor that comes from the way they are made—these roasted peppers are hand made…their skins are burnt on an open fire…which is also kind of cool— so there’s lots of care and love in this process. 

Piquillos are grown in the North of Spain in Lodosa which is near the Ebro River area where so many great things grow, like olives, almonds, peaches, cherries, and also Tempranillo grapes, the famous grape of La Rioja region. 

These are definitely a staple in pantries across Spain, we pick them up in the supermarket to have them on hand for weeknight dinners, breakfast, and last minute tapas too. You can now easily find them here in the U.S. too.