The Science of Spice

Europe 75

Brought back from the Americas by Columbus in

the late 1400s, sweet and chilli peppers are inescapable

in this region. Spanish cooks often reach for the

mildness of pimentón, while the Portuguese brave

the heat of malagueta chillies. Dried nora peppers

are essential to the Catalan romesco sauce for fish,

and green guindilla chillies are used in a hot sauce from

the Canaries. Saffron abounds in Andalusian cuisine

and the Valencian classic, paella, while cinnamon

laces sweet Portuguese dishes.

Spice mix and

ingredients

ready for paella,

see p213.

Signature

Pimentón, chilli (malagueta)

Spain’s vivid red pimentón

(paprika) comes in three

varieties: dulce (sweet),

agridulce (bittersweet), and

ahumado (smoked). Hot

malagueta chillies are popular

in Portuguese stews and

other meat dishes.

Supporting

Pimentón picante, dried

nora peppers, chilli (piri piri),

garlic, saffron

Pungent pimentón picante is

less popular than its milder

variants, but makes a regular

appearance in the Canaries

and Galicia. Piri piri is used

interchangeably with

malagueta in Portugal.

Supplementary

Dried choricero peppers, chilli

(guindilla, alegrías), cacao, anise,

cloves, cinnamon

Cacao nibs are occasionally

used in game and beef stews.

Fragrant anise is paired with

chestnuts in Portugal and

with dried figs in Catalonia.

pim

entón

pi

ri

pir

i chilli

SPICE

PALETTE

SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

Smoky | Sweet | Piquant

Arab conquerors

from North Africa

first introduced

saffron cultivation to

the Iberian peninsula

in the 8th century.

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