Sourcing
The Extramadura region in Western Spain has a protected designation of origin for their world-famous smoked paprika.
The paprika season starts in February when farmers plant young paprika seedlings in long rows. By September, the plants are full of firetruck red peppers. That's when they get picked and brought over to the two-story smokehouses located on each farm.
The lower level of the smokehouse an oak wood fire that burns for 24 hours a day. The peppers are loaded into the upper level, where they spend 2 weeks getting smoked over the gentle heat. Every day, the farmers use shovels to turn the peppers over so they dry out evenly and completely. The farmers know the peppers are completely dry by the crunch the peppers make when they're turned over.
The smell of the smokehouses wafts over nearby fields, filling the air with a fragrance reminiscent of a cigar bar filled with leather books... in the best way possible.
