Top 26 European Peppers

Florina is a Greek pepper cultivated in Western Macedonia and the area of Florina, hence the name. The peppers have a deep red color and they're shaped like a cow's horn. The harvest takes up to 18 weeks, and they ripen to maturity after mid-August. It is said that a good Florina pepper should be firm, thick, bright in color, and sweet in flavor. These versatile peppers can be used in salads, sauces, pasta dishes, or meat dishes, but they're usually roasted and stuffed with ingredients such as feta, meat, rice, or shrimps. To make things even more simple, Florina peppers can be roasted, sliced, and combined with olive oil, sea salt, and garlic for a tasty appetizer.Expand

Padrón pepper is a Galician pepper originating from the Padrón municipality. The peppers range in color from bright green to yellowish green. Although they are usually mild in flavor, about one in ten of these peppers is spicy as hell, but it's almost impossible to tell them apart until you taste them, which is like playing Russian roulette with peppers. Padrón peppers are traditionally fried in olive oil and seasoned with coarse sea salt. They are served in most tapa bars and restaurants in the region, and it's recommended to have a glass of beer, wine, or cider nearby - in case you eat a few of the spicy ones. The official and protected name of these peppers is pementos de Herbón.Expand

Ajvarka is one of the oldest North Macedonian pepper varieties, and its official name is Kurtovska kapija (Kurt gate). However, people call it Ajvarka because it is most commonly used to prepare the famous red pepper relish called ajvar. This pepper contains a small amount of water, it has a thin shell, and it peels very well, which is important for preparing ajvar, although the pepper can also be eaten raw or used in other dishes. Ajvarka is usually flat, has a thin handle on top, and it's often heart-shaped. Regarding the size, it's not bigger than a woman's palm. It is believed that the best type of this pepper is the one that ripens from September 10 to September 25.Expand

Piment d'Espelette is a fiery red, hand-picked chili pepper with a strong smell reminiscent of fruit and smoke, produced in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region in France. It was originally used in the south-west of France for curing dried ham. Their taste is spicy and piquant, but not too hot on the palate. It can be sold in a few ways - as fresh, whole peppers strung in pairs of twos, threes, or fours on a string, or ground into orangey-red chili powder after the peppers have ripened enough. A truly versatile product, it can be sprinkled in sauces to serve with lobster, paired with dark chocolate in desserts or put in fish stews and chicken basquaise.Expand

Cayenne pepper is a hot pepper that's named after its supposed place of origin, the Cayenne region of French Guiana. Nowadays, these peppers are grown in Mexico, the United States, India, and East Africa. They usually come in the dried and ground version, and the powder is often used in soups, sauces, on pizzas, or over meat and seafood. Cayennes range from 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units, similar to serrano pepper. The majority of hot sauces rely on cayenne for the kick, especially if the sauce contains vinegar. Interestingly, these peppers have been used as medicine for centuries as they have a number of beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system.Expand

Pemento de Herbón are the Capsicum annuun L. green peppers of the Padrón variety grown at farms in the south of the province of A Coruña and in the north of the province of Pontevedra. These peppers are hand harvested while they are still unripe to preserve the green color. Pemento de Herbón are relatively small peppers with a length of about 5 cm, smooth and shiny skin and an intensely sweet, mildly spicy flavor. They have developed from a variety that was initially red and spicy, but the growers preserved only the seeds of the plants that were mild in flavor, thus producing a pepper that is far less spicy. Pemento de Herbón is grown without the use of artificial fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides by experienced farmers to ensure the superior characteristics and quality of this exceptional pepper. In tapa bars and restaurants, these peppers go by their more famous name pementos de Padrón.Expand

Peperoni cruschi are flakes of crumbled fried heirloom peppers grown around Senise in the Italian region of Basilicata. Small, red, elongated, and slightly curvy Senise peppers have a sweet flavor with only a hint of heat. Due to the fact that these peppers have very little flesh, they are easily preserved by drying in the sun, but their full potential is shown when they're carefully fried in olive oil, salted, then broken into crispy flakes full of flavor. Peperoni cruschi can be enjoyed on their own, as a crunchy side dish, or used as a flavor enhancer, sprinkled over vegetables, frittatas, or pasta. Expand

Pimientos del Piquillo de Lodosa are roasted Piquillo variety peppers produced in the autonomous community of Navarre. The area of production has a Mediterranean climate with relatively high levels of precipitation, which is essential for the optimal development of these pepper. They are grilled or roasted (to bring out their sweetness), hand-peeled, marinated in olive oil with herbs, then jarred. The flavor of Pimientos del Piquillo de Lodosa is pleasantly bitter, with a sweet and slightly spicy aftertaste.Expand

Szentesi paprika is a collective name for the forcibly grown peppers of four different varieties of Capsicum Annuum. First are white peppers; smooth skinned and shiny, conically shaped with a strong paprika smell and mild flavour. White peppers are intended to be stuffed, either with meat, rice, or both. The next variety is pointed hot peppers which are shiny, smooth, long and pointy in shape, green in colour and with a spicy flavour. Kapia peppers are conical, smooth, shiny, dark red in colour, and sweet and mild in terms of flavour. The last variety are the tomato-shaped peppers, unique in their shape, deep red in colour, with a strong paprika smell and a mild taste. All the varieties of Szentesi paprika must be grown in the area of Csongrád county because of the favourable soil, temperature and light conditions, ensuring the peppers' famous, top quality flavour.Expand

Pimiento de Gernika are the green peppers traditionally grown in the area in the north of Spain, encompassing the northern part of the Basque region. This area has a typical Atlantic climate with high levels of precipitation which provide optimal conditions for the development of this pepper variety. The seed and ways of cultivation have been passed down through generations and have been a carefully protected secret. Gernikako Piperra are elongated peppers of the Derio and Iker varieties, harvested before they are fully ripe and are best enjoyed fried. The mild Guernica peppers—named for a town in the Basque region of Spain that was bombed during the Spanish Civil War—is generally prepared in a similar way to the Padrón pepper: lightly charred and then tossed in olive oil and sea salt. While the Padrónes can occasionally have quite a bit of heat to them, the Guernica peppers are consistently sweet and mild and the larger peppers are marvelous stuffed with goat cheese and fried.Expand

El Navarrico is a Spanish family-owned company specializing in high-quality vegetable preserves, based in San Adrián in the Navarra region of northern Spain. Founded in 1960 by José Salcedo and Amalia Herce, the company began as a small family initiative focused on preserving local vegetables such as asparagus and piquillo peppers.

Over time it developed into a recognized producer of gourmet canned vegetables, legumes, sauces and prepared dishes while maintaining a close connection with regional agriculture. Navarra’s fertile soils and favorable climate provide ideal conditions for cultivating products like white asparagus, artichokes and piquillo peppers, which form the core of the company’s production.

El Navarrico emphasizes the use of fresh, carefully selected ingredients and processing methods designed to preserve the natural flavor and texture of the vegetables. The company combines traditional preserving techniques with modern production technology to ensure quality and consistency.

Today its portfolio includes a wide range of vegetable preserves and other pantry products distributed in many international markets. Through its focus on regional ingredients and careful preparation, El Navarrico reflects the long culinary tradition of vegetable preservation in Navarra.Expand

Arla is a global dairy cooperative owned by farmers primarily located in Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The company produces a variety of dairy products, including cheese, milk, and yogurt.

Arla is committed to sustainable dairy farming practices and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain by 30% by 2030.Expand

Prada a Tope is a Spanish enogastronomic brand from the El Bierzo region, founded in the 1970s by José Luis Prada, combining wine production, traditional food processing, and hospitality within a single concept. Its operations are centered around Palacio de Canedo, a restored estate that integrates a winery, restaurant, hotel, and production facilities, linking products directly to their place of origin.

The winery focuses on native grape varieties such as mencía and godello, cultivated with organic practices and minimal intervention to preserve terroir expression. In parallel, the brand produces a wide range of gourmet products - such as roasted peppers, chestnuts, and fruit preserves - using traditional, slow-processing methods.

Prada a Tope emphasizes local sourcing and collaboration with small producers, reinforcing regional identity while maintaining control over distribution through its own retail channels.Expand

Hodi Paprika Ltd. is a producer of spice blends and seasonings. It specializes in paprika products.

The company aims to deliver high-quality spices to various markets. It focuses on maintaining traditional methods along with modern technology for processing spices.Expand