Spice
Pimentón de la Vera
S tier
Pimentón de la Vera is the PDO smoked paprika of Spain’s La Vera valley, where peppers are dried slowly over oak smoke before milling. Available dulce (sweet), agridulce (bittersweet), and picante (hot). The smoke is woven through the pepper, not sprayed on later—essential for authentic chorizo flavour and many Spanish stews. A little goes far; the smoke can dominate delicate dishes. Bloom in oil for patatas, octopus, and bean pots. Look for PDO seals on tins.
Track this ingredient
Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
Bean StewChorizoPulpo
Traits
Chorizo SoulDeepEssential SpanishOak DriedPDO SmokedSmokyThree Heat Levels
History
ES
La Vera growers adopted oak-smoke drying for pimentón that defined the region.
ES
PDO protection formalised Pimentón de la Vera production rules.
Global chefs treated La Vera smoked paprika as a signature Spanish pantry item.