Fruit, vegetables and pulses

Neapolitan papaccella pepper

Neapolitan papaccella pepper: small, deeply ribbed and sweet

A small ribbed pepper with thick, sweet flesh, the papaccella has grown for centuries in the market gardens north-east of Naples. Look-alike hybrids nearly pushed it out; Campania's regional government recovered the original seed, and today it is a Slow Food Presidium and a traditional agri-food product (PAT).

• No more than 8-10 cm across, with deep ribs: the first clues that set it apart from hybrids
• Thick, crunchy, sweet flesh with an intense, fresh, grassy aroma
• Bold colours, from green to sunny yellow or on to a wine-dark red as it ripens

How to enjoy it. Roast it, pan-fry it or stuff it while fresh; preserved in red wine vinegar it becomes the heart of insalata di rinforzo, the Neapolitan Christmas salad.

Production areas

Campania

Season

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