Peperoncino is Italy’s – above all Calabria’s – hot chilli. Strings of it hang from village windows and balconies, and since June 2026 “Peperoncino di Calabria” has been an EU Protected Geographical Indication.
| Species | Capsicum annuum, many varieties |
|---|---|
| Heat | 5,000–70,000 SHU (“medium-high”, PGI specification) |
| Protection | PGI “Peperoncino di Calabria”, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1273 |
| Area | the whole of Calabria |
| Fruit | conical to elongated, 3–25 cm, or round like a cherry (1–4 cm); red when ripe |
| Flavour | “penetrating aroma, intense and characteristic, with herbaceous and fruity notes” |
Peperoncino di Calabria
The EU registered “Peperoncino di Calabria” as a Protected Geographical Indication by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1273 of 4 June 2026, with no oppositions. The area covers all of Calabria. The specification allows many C. annuum varieties – among them Corno di Capra, Ciliegia, Calabrese, Pizzitano, Sigaretta, Trottolino Amoroso (locally “Naso di cane”), and even Cayenne and Jalapeño. Peperoncino is sold fresh; dried in strings 20–120 cm long; whole or in pieces; and as flakes or powder. Dried, it is brick-red to deep carmine.
Heat and flavour
The specification gives 5,000–70,000 SHU, “medium-high” heat. The wide range reflects the many varieties covered – from mild ones comparable to a jalapeño to some hotter than cayenne. Fresh peperoncino has, according to the specification, a penetrating, intense and characteristic aroma with herbaceous and fruity notes.
In Calabrian cooking
According to the specification, peperoncino is a key ingredient in sauces for the local pasta shapes struncatura and fileja. It also goes into the spreadable salami ‚nduja, traditionally about half pork fat, a quarter lean meat and a quarter chilli. ‚Nduja has no EU protected status yet; a PGI for “’Nduja di Spilinga” has been pending since 2008.
The Diamante festival
The seaside town of Diamante has hosted the Peperoncino Festival since 1992, and nearby Maierà has a chilli museum – both mentioned in the official PGI specification itself.
Related
Piment d’Espelette · Cayenne · Thai chilli · Scoville scale
Sources
- Official Journal of the EU C/2026/1101 (18 Feb 2026): application and single document „Peperoncino di Calabria“
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1273: ELI, PDF
- Pennisi et al. (2026). Pathogens 15: 606. doi:10.3390/pathogens15060606
- Calabria News 24 (26 Sep 2026): ‚nduja and certification