This Espelette chilli pepper paste, a burst of powerful flavours, will enhance and enchant your stews and vinaigrettes! Serve it as a condiment, with foie gras or cheese. Use it to enhance sauces in your meat or fish dishes. Espelettechilli pepper -the emblem of Basque cuisine! It gets its name from the delightful little village of Espelette tucked away at the foot of the Basque mountains. Although it’s considered as one of the emblems of the Basque country, it was originally brought back from South America by Christopher Colombus in the 16th century. Its Protected Designation of Origin status means that all the farmers must comply with the specifications that set out the geographical area where the chilli pepper can be produced and certain rules which guarantee the quality of the chilli pepper.