Piment d’Ville – Red Chili Pepper Powder from California – 1.2 oz jar
A sweet, spicy, basque red chile powder. Locally grown from seeds originally imported from France. Hand harvested in Boonville, CA. Piment d’ville is the same variety of pepper known as piment d’espelette. In French, piment d’espelette translates to “peppers of espelette.” Traditionally produced around the town of Espelette in the Basque region of Southern France. The spice has gradually replaced black pepper in everyday Basque cooking. You’ll find yourself using piment d’ville on everything from popcorn to simple roast chicken or in a red chile cream sauce. It also works well with chocolate or on a cocktail glass. The plant, originally from Mexico and to a lesser extent South America, was introduced in France from the New World around the 16th century. After first being used medicinally, it has since become popular for preparing condiments and for the conservation of meat and ham. It is now a cornerstone of Basque cuisine, where it has gradually replaced black pepper and it is a key ingredient in piperade. Similar in heat to paprika, its robust peppery taste can be increased with roasting or pan searing and is commonly used in Basque food.