The piquillo pepper is a variety of chili

Chili pepper

Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...

 traditionally grown in Northern Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 over the town of Lodosa

Lodosa

Lodosa is a small town of around 5,000 people located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain. Located along the river Ebro, in a largely agricultural area, the town of Lodosa is famous for its peppers, el pimiento del Piquillo, and its natural beauty. The largest nearby...

. Its name is derived from the Spanish for "little beak".

Preparation

Typically, the peppers are hand picked during two harvests between September and December. They are roasted over embers, which gives them a distinct sweet, spicy flavour, more akin to bell peppers than chile peppers, despite their small size. They are then peeled and de-seeded by hand, before being packed into jars or tins for sale.

Piquillo Peppers are often stuffed with meat, seafood or cheese, and served as tapas

Tapas

Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold or warm ....

.

Nutrition

Piquillo peppers are high in Fiber, and Vitamins C, E, A, and B. In particular, their Vitamin C content is very high, comparable to a citrus fruit.