Guindilla Pepper
The Guindilla Pepper, also known as Guindilla de Ibarra or Piparra, is a mild Capsicum annuum chili native to Spain's Basque Country. It features a slender shape and is most famous when pickled in white wine vinegar, offering a bright, tangy flavor with subtle heat perfect for tapas and pintxos.
The Guindilla Pepper is a slender, narrow and elongated Capsicum annuum variety grown primarily in the Basque region of Spain, especially around the town of Ibarra in Gipuzkoa. These peppers measure 4-10 cm in length with a thin, smooth, shiny skin and tender flesh. When young they are green to greenish-yellow and are typically harvested early for pickling in white wine vinegar, which imparts a crisp, tart tang distinct from standard vinegar brines. Ripe peppers turn red and can be dried into mild, sweet flakes. The flavor is bright and slightly sweet with a soft crunch and only a gentle kick of heat. They are a staple in Basque cuisine, commonly served as tapas alongside cheeses and cured meats, skewered in pintxos such as the classic Gilda (with anchovy and olive), or used as a garnish in cocktails like the Bloody Mary. Dried red versions add subtle spice to traditional Basque dishes. The name guindilla is a generic Spanish term for chili pepper, but this specific mild variety has protected status under the Basque Eusko Label quality stamp with strict cultivation and processing rules in low-lying, humid areas. Plants grow 60-80 cm tall and are high-yielding under full sun and well-draining soil conditions similar to other annuum peppers.
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Backstory
Guindilla is a generic Spanish term simply meaning chili pepper, but this variety is specific to the Basque Country where peppers arrived from the Americas via the Columbian Exchange in the 16th century. It became iconic in mid-20th century Basque pintxos culture, notably featured in the Gilda skewer invented in the 1940s. Guindilla de Ibarra holds protected quality status with the Eusko Label.
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Bright and slightly sweet with mild heat and soft crunch; pickled versions deliver a crisp, tart tang from white wine vinegar.
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