Description

Hot pepper from Barrika

Not very hot, 0 to 2 on the Scoville scale. Green turning red at maturity. 20 cm long. Tasty. Thin flesh, ideal for paprika. Develops a pungent taste only when very ripe. Productive, 1-meter-high plant. Native to the coastal town of Barrika (Basque Country). 80 days.

Full sun, well drained and rich soil. Sow indoors 8 to 12 weeks before the last frost. 6 mm deep. 60 cm between plants.

Germination: 79% in November 2025
Ecological seeds produced at Catherine’s Ornamental Garden.

Note
Seeds of Basque origin donated by Hugo Martorell of Sème l’Avenir. In 2023, as part of his work, Hugo went to the Basque country to discuss, among other things, the protection of ancestral varieties with the Red de Semillas Euskal Herriko Hazien Sarea organization. In the Basque country, artisan seed growers are very rare, and varieties are preserved by the gardeners who eat them. He brought back seeds of several varieties, including the hot pepper from Barrika.

A Basque delegation came to visit several Quebec farms in the summer of 2024, including ours, to see how things are done here.

Tested in our gardens in the summer of 2024, we made sure it was early enough for our climate and put it into production. We found it quite interesting to have such a big pepper that was just hot enough as we like them.