Description
The Pemento de Herbón PDO is a fresh pepper from the Caspicuum annuum L. species, from the local Padrón ecotype, harvested when not yet ripe.
Production Area
The production area of Pemento de Herbón PDO covers many municipal areas in the districts of La Coruña, Lugo and Pontevedra, belonging to the Autonomous Community of Galicia.
Production Method
The seeds to renew the cultivations come from plants which are accurately selected every year by expert farmers, who have to value the appearance, the quality, and the flavour of the fruits produced. Indeed, only healthy and well-structured plants are selected with fruits without spots and with a rightly hot taste. The seeds obtained are sown from October. The transplantation takes place directly on the ground, both in the open air and roofed. In this last case, it has to take place in February to harvest the fruits from May. On the contrary, in the open air the plants are transplanted in April-May and harvesting takes place in June-July. The fruits are hand-harvested. The maximum amounts allowed are 3.5 and 6 kg per square metre, respectively in the open air and in roofed shelters.
Appearance and Flavour
Pemento de Herbón PDO is a short pepper, long and with 3-4 locules on the top, which has a flattened shape. The peel is smooth and bright green in colour. The weight amounts to about 3.5-4.5 gr per piece. The taste is sweet, lightly hot.
History
The pepper arrived to Herbón in the 17th century, when Franciscans returned from Mexico and brought the city some seeds and then started to crop these plants in their convent. Thanks to the favourable climate and soil, a very efficient and specialised production system has developed in a short time in this area, where the selection ability of farmers has made the pepper one of the most important sources of income.
Gastronomy
Pemento de Herbón PDO has to be stored in a fresh and dry place to keep unaltered its organoleptic features. It is eaten pan-fried with a bit of oil and salt or cooked in oven or roasted or it may be used as an ingredient in many recipes from the Galician cuisine.
Marketing
The product is sold as Pemento de Herbón PDO. It is generally sold between March 1st and October 31st in food bags with a weight of about 400 gr.
Distinctive Features
A famous motto on the Pemento de Herbón PDO says: "uns picans e outros non". Indeed, the peculiarity of this pepper is just the light hot flavour, due to a plant selection process that the expert producers have refined and passed on over centuries.
