El Carrascal, artisanal Piquillo peppers from Extremadura
El Carrascal is a small family business from the Alagón Valley in the Spanish region of Extremadura, specializing in artisanal Pimientos del Piquillo. From the seeds to the can, everything remains in one hand – roasted over an open fire and peeled by hand, pod by pod.
El Carrascal stands for hand-crafted Piquillo peppers the likes of which are rarely found today. In Huélaga in the Alagón Valley, a vast, quiet landscape in western Spain, the Sánchez family grows their peppers on their own fields, roasts them over an open fire, and peels each pod by hand. Only peppers, salt, and a touch of citric acid go into the can.
From seed to can in one hand
José Luis Sánchez Martín raises the Piquillo plants from his own seeds and cultivates the fields without chemical pesticides. As a result, only the best pods end up in the can – firm, juicy, and full of the natural sweetness provided by the dry climate of Extremadura.
Roasted over an open fire
At harvest time, each pepper is selected by hand and roasted over an open fire – slowly and in a controlled manner, which provides the gentle, smoky note. Afterward, the pods are peeled and deseeded by hand, with twelve to eighteen large pieces per can, preserved in their own juice. The ingredient list remains radically honest: peppers, salt, and a touch of citric acid.
The truffle among peppers
The result is an Extra-grade Piquillo: fleshy, naturally sweet, with a fine umami depth and the smoky note that has earned the variety its reputation as the truffle among peppers. In Spanish cuisine, they are filled with salt cod, tuna, or goat cheese, served on crostini, as part of an antipasti platter, or puréed into a salsa – an insider tip from Spain's artisanal gourmet scene.
