Piquillo Peppers - grilled peppers

Hand-peeled Piquillo peppers from Navarra

Anko's Pimientos del Piquillo are whole peppers roasted over beechwood in Navarra, peeled by hand and preserved in their own juice with nothing but salt. These are not mass-produced vegetables, but a labor of love, crafted pepper by pepper.

Pimientos del Piquillo are a Spanish specialty from Navarra: deep red, triangular peppers that get their name from their pointed shape at the bottom. Anko roasts these 8 to 10-centimeter-long peppers from the region around Cadreita over beechwood and then peels them by hand, one by one. This preserves the aroma, the bite, and the compact structure of the pepper.

Sweet, smoky, and pleasantly firm

The peppers glow with a vibrant red even inside the jar, and the flesh is thick and firm, not mushy. Roasting over beechwood gives them a sweet, slightly smoky note that fresh peppers lack.

In terms of texture, the Piquillo is juicy, with a subtle sweetness carried by the roasting process. They hold their shape when sliced and stuffed—triangular, fleshy, and free of seeds or skins, thanks to the meticulous hand-peeling process.

On bread, in salads, with ham

Pimientos del Piquillo are perfect as a tapa on crusty bread, in salads, served with cheese, or as a side dish for grilled fish and meat.

On a tapas platter alongside Hojiblanca olives with peppers and sardines in olive oil, they make a small Spanish meal that requires no stove. Cut into strips, they pair beautifully with chorizo and Manchego, while whole peppers can be stuffed with fish mousse or goat cheese and briefly baked. Paired with a chilled gazpacho from Anko, the Spanish experience is complete.

Hand-peeled in Navarra

Anko has been growing and processing Piquillo peppers since 1959 in Cadreita, in the Ebro Valley of Navarra—a family business now run by the children of Benito Prat and Carmen Preciado under the name Anko.

After harvest, the peppers are roasted whole over an open beechwood fire until the skin is black and blistered. Only then are they peeled by hand, pepper by pepper, as this is the only way to keep the firm flesh intact. Anko distinguishes between two qualities, Entero Extra and Primera, depending on the size and shape of the peppers. They are preserved only with salt in their own juice, without any artificial colors or preservatives—a process that the Navarra region recognizes with the "Alimentos Artesanos" seal.

A 235-gram can provides approximately 215 grams of drained whole peppers—enough for a generous round of tapas for two.