The Basque chilli pepper is grown in the French Basque Country, the same corner of south-western France that produces the more widely known Espelette pepper. The two are close in character — both offer warmth rather than fire, and both bring flavour complexity that goes well beyond simple heat. This pepper delivers a distinctive blend of hay, roasted pepper, and sun-ripened tomato aromas, with a fruity undertone that makes it more aromatic than most dried chillies at this heat level. At 4/10 on the Scoville scale, it adds a pleasant background warmth without overwhelming the other ingredients in a dish.

The peppers are harvested by hand between August and November as they ripen to a sharp red, then dried in greenhouses and ovens — a modern refinement of the traditional Basque practice of hanging whole peppers outside the home to air-dry. This gentle, flavour-first character makes them one of the most broadly useful chillies in the range. They work well with eggs, salads, grilled meat and seafood, or mixed into a marinade with olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs for fish and poultry.

Producer: Terre Exotique, a French spice house founded in 1998 after its founder discovered Penja pepper on a plantation in Cameroon. The company sources directly from growers worldwide and processes at its facility in France, maintaining close relationships with producers to ensure traceability and quality across its range.

Storage: Ambient. Store in a dry place at room temperature.

Net: 40g