Pimentón de la Vera PDO

Tasting notes

The product has an intense, penetrating flavor and aroma of smoke left by the drying process. The color is a bright, fairly shiny red and the product has a high coloring power. The flavor, aroma and color are very stable over time, mostly because of the slow, gentle drying process used.

Other notes

Grain size after crushing should be ASTM sieve size 16. Edible sunflower oil may sometimes be added to the pimentón powder to give consistency and shine, the maximum proportion being 3% of dry matter. The final product must be completely free of seeds, placentas, calyces and stems that are not from the accepted varieties, and of any artificial colorants or other substances that alter the parameters of this spice.

Physical and chemical characteristics :

- Maximum moisture content: 14%

- Ether extract over dry matter: maximum 23%

- Raw fiber over dry matter: maximum 28%

- Ash over dry matter: Total (maximum) 9%

- Insoluble substances: maximum 1%

- Color (ASTA units): minimum 90%.

Production / Processing method

Production begins with preparation of the seedbeds, from late February to early April. The plantlets are transplanted in the field between 15 May and 10 June approximately. The soil is first tilled.

Planting is done by hand or using mechanical transplanters, after which the fields are well watered to ensure that the roots take. When the fruits are ripe, they are picked by hand and taken to drying chambers on the farms where they are dried using smoke rising from a fire below. This results in a slow, gentle drying process so that, after a period of ten to fifteen days, the moisture content of the fruits has dropped from 80% to less than 15%. After drying, the product has a smoked flavor and aroma and very stable color.

It is then crushed using emery stone mills. The crushed pimentón then goes through the horizontal mill when sometimes vegetable oil may be added in the maximum proportion laid down in the regulations. Finally, the product is packaged and labeled.

Geography / Relief and climate

The local microclimate, soil properties and water quality make cultivation of these varieties possible. Their fruits afford the specific flavor of pimentón, which is then completed with the drying process. The damp climate does not allow drying to be carried out in the sun so smoking is necessary, giving the pimentón its characteristic flavor and aroma and also making its color very stable.

Regulatory Council

Consejo Regulador de la DOP Pimentón de la Vera
Avda. de la Constitución, 177 - 1º
10400 Jaraíz de la Vera (Cáceres)
Tel: (+34) 927 170 272
info@pimentonvera-origen.com
www.pimentonvera-origen.com

Sources:
 
- Spanish Ministry of Agriculture

- Regulatory Council, Pimentón de la Vera PDO