Pimentón de la Vera

Pimentón de la Vera is a ground paprika produced from four named chilli varieties, dried exclusively over oak and holm oak wood smoke in a defined area of northern Cáceres, Extremadura. The specification recognises three types — sweet, sweet-hot, and hot — distinguished by variety and taste profile. It is deep red in colour and imparts colour vigorously.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO on 24 November 2006 under file number PDO-ES-0321 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013697), Pimentón de la Vera is produced from the fully ripe, healthy fruits of four permitted varieties: Jaranda, Jariza, and Jeromín of the Ocales group, and the Bola variety, belonging to the botanical species Capsicum annum L. and Capsicum longum L. The production area covers named municipalities within the natural areas of La Vera, Campo Arañuelo, Valle del Ambroz, and Valle del Alagón in the north of the Province of Cáceres. Growing, drying, and processing must all take place within this delimited area. Drying is carried out by the farmer using a vertical current of air over a fire of oak and holm oak wood; this process reduces the water content of the fruit from 80% to under 15% within 10 to 15 days. After drying, the resulting cáscara is ground on emery stones and then passed through horizontally positioned stones known as piedras de transmitir. Edible sunflower oil may be added up to a maximum of 3% by weight of the dry product. The specification defines physico-chemical limits including a minimum colour value of 90 ASTA units and a maximum water content of 14. Certified product must carry the logo of the Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Protegida «Pimentón de la Vera» and a numbered secondary label that cannot be reused. Commercial labels must bear the words Denominación de Origen Protegida «Pimentón de la Vera» and must be approved by the inspection body.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 24 November 2006 under file number PDO-ES-0321, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013697.
• The specification permits only four chilli varieties: Jaranda, Jariza, and Jeromín (Ocales group) and Bola; no other variety is authorised.
• Smoke-drying over oak and holm oak wood reduces fruit water content from 80% to under 15% within 10 to 15 days.
• Every certified unit must carry a numbered secondary label issued by the Consejo Regulador; the label must be impossible to reuse.

Tasting notes

Extremaduran smoked paprika DOP from La Vera valley (Cáceres), traditional smoke-drying over oak/holm-oak fire (10-15 days). Three styles: Dulce (sweet/mild), Agridulce (bittersweet), Picante (spicy). Distinctive deep-red color, intensely smoky-aromatic flavor with characteristic Vera-region wood-smoke profile — Spain's most prestigious paprika.

HoReCa use

Foundation of Spanish charcuterie — essential for chorizo, sobrasada, and lomo embuchado; also used in patatas a la riojana, marinades for octopus, and sopa de ajo.

Packaging

• tin-75g
• tin-100g
• tin-200g
• glass-jar-100g
• gift-pack-200g
• professional-bulk-1kg