Peperone di Senise

Peperone di Senise is a pepper of the species Capsicum annuum, grown in a defined area of Basilicata and not ascribable to any officially recognised cultivar but to a locally found ecotype. Its fruit is characterised by a thin wall and low water content, permitting rapid drying by direct exposure to sunlight. The designation covers the product both fresh and as sun-dried strings or ground powder.

About this designation

Registered as a PGI on 2 July 1996 under file number PGI-IT-1532 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013409), the protected name as registered is Peperoni di Senise. The applicant group recorded in the EU register is the Consorzio di tutela Peperone di Senise IGP. The production area is defined as the suitable areas of the communes of Senise, Francavilla S.S., Chiaromonte, Valsinni, Colobraro, Tursi, Noepoli, Sgiorgio Lucano, Sant'Arcangelo, Roccanova, Montalbano Jónico, and Graco. The plant belongs to the species Capsicum annuum and corresponds to a locally found ecotype not ascribable to any officially recognised cultivar. Sowing takes place from the last ten days of February to the second ten days of March; transplanting is carried out after the second ten days of May; harvesting is done manually during or after the first ten days of August, when the fruits reach their typical red colour. The fruit's thin wall and low water content allow drying by direct exposure to sunlight. A defining characteristic noted in the specification is that the stem does not detach from the fruit after drying, making it possible to tie the fruits into strings. The processed product is marketed as sun-dried strings or as a fine powder obtained by grinding the dried fruits. Products marketed for consumption must bear the wording "Peperone di Senise" P.G.I. followed by the logo. Control is exercised by the Ministero delle Risorse Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 2 July 1996 under file number PGI-IT-1532, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013409.
• The pepper corresponds to a locally found ecotype not ascribable to any officially recognised cultivar.
• The stem does not detach from the fruit after drying, enabling the fruits to be tied into the characteristic strings.
• Harvesting is carried out manually during or after the first ten days of August, when the fruits reach their typical red colour.

Tasting notes

Lucanian dried sweet pepper from Senise area, distinctive elongated red pepper traditionally air-dried then fried (peperoni cruschi — "crispy peppers"). Crisp paper-thin texture when fried, intensely sweet-savory flavor with toasted notes; iconic Lucanian product.

HoReCa use

The product is marketed for consumption both fresh and as a processed product, in the form of sun-dried strings or as a fine powder obtained by grinding the dried fruits.

Packaging

• dried-bunch-200g
• dried-bunch-500g
• fried-vacuum-100g
• fried-vacuum-200g
• ground-paprika-jar-100g