This weekend, the scholars headed north for a little hands-on research. Destination? Espelette, France, in the basque region of Lapurdi. Reason? The Espelette pepper, of course. This pepper is an A.O.C. (appellation d’origine controlée) designated product, so it is protected and regulated by the government for its special properties. The pepper is grown around the town of Espelette, and every fall there is a festival to celebrate the pepper’s harvest and drying. You can see it hanging to dry on the houses around the town:
After they hang to dry, they are further dehydrated over more intense heat, then crushed into the powder form that is commonly sold in markets in the south of France, Spain, and even in the US. Piment d’Espelette appears on menus across the country in places like Per Se and other fine Mediterranean-inspired kitchens. The flavor is unique: spicy, but not too spicy, and with a hint of Spanish paprika’s smokiness.
Walking around the quiet village, the scholars were able to stop into several shops and check out some of the delicious Espelette products: pepper confit, foie preserved in pepper sauce, pepper jelly, cocoa with peppers, and cheese with peppers. The AOC growing region is limited to the several surrounding districts, so after sampling a few more delicacies, and the stages set off to glimpse the rolling hills and farmland of Lapurdi. They stopped in nearby Ainhoa for an al fresco lunch of ham, peppers, omelettes, frites and wine–and to enjoy the 65-degree weather!
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