Choricero Pepper
What it is
A long, dried, dark-red sweet pepper from the Basque Country and northern Spain, named for its role in seasoning chorizo. Used for its rich, sweet rehydrated pulp.
How it's made
Long ripe red peppers are sun-dried, then soaked and scraped to extract the deep-red pulp (carne de pimiento choricero), sold fresh or jarred.
Flavor profile
Sweet, deep, and earthy with a mild, mellow red-pepper richness and no real heat — concentrated dried-pepper flavor.
Culinary uses
The pulp colors and flavors bacalao a la vizcaína (salt cod in Biscay sauce), marmitako (tuna stew), chorizo, and northern Spanish braises. Pairs with salt cod, tuna, onion, tomato, and pork.
Regional variations
Basque and northern Spanish; the jarred pulp is the common modern form.
Cultural & historical context
Foundational to Basque and Cantabrian cooking, where its sweet pulp builds the deep red sauces of the region's celebrated fish dishes.
Reference notes
Tags: `dried`, `mild`, `Spanish`, `Basque`, `C. annuum`, `sweet`, `pulp`. Related: ñora, sweet paprika, ancho. Substitute ñora or jarred choricero pulp; ancho in a pinch. Sourcing: Spanish importers; jarred pulp is easiest. Link → Bacalao a la Vizcaína, Marmitako, Ñora Pepper.