Production for these exceptional, highly sought-after Gorria peppers centres on 10 villages, one of which is Espelette, in the French part of the Basque Country. They are France’s only protected denomination of origin pepper and originally arrived from Mexico, with written records dating to the mid 1600s. Harvest takes place in autumn when the peppers are hand-picked and strung beneath the outdoor eaves of farmhouses for a minimum of 15 days. They undergo a quick pass through an oven to eventuate their flavour before being ground. Piment d’Espelette are sweeter than they are spicy, though they still boast a lively heat. The nuanced, complex flavour of these peppers pair perfectly with virgin olive oil-fried potato crisps.