Altino Sweet Pepper

The small town of Altino, on a rocky spur looking out over the Aventino Valley, gives its name to small, horn-shaped peppers, bright red in color, also known as a cocce capammonte (“with the head up”) because the fruits grow pointing upwards. When ripe, they are picked and then strung together with a needle and thread to make a long chain known as a crollo. The peppers are left to air-dry for several days then toasted in the oven for a few minutes or quickly dipped in boiling oil. At this point they can be crumbled over pasta, salt cod, vegetables or pork.
The dried peppers, which have a characteristic sweet flavor, can also be ground in typical mortars called piloni. The resulting powder is used in pasta sauces or to season cured meats, like Vastese ventricina. It can also be used to give a vivid red color to homemade pasta and bread dough. The origins of this pepper, locally known as paesanello, probably lie in Eastern Europe and the introduction of paprika from the Balkans by the Slavic peoples who settled in the province of Chieti in the 15th century. This could also be the origin of the custom of grinding the pepper into a powder, characteristic of Eastern Europe.

Season

Peppers are harvested from the first ten days of August when the berries reach the typical red color. Dried are available all year round.