Description
Pemento de Oímbra PGI is a pepper plant of the Capsicum annuum L. species belonging to the local ecotype variety of the same name.
Production Area
Pemento de Oímbra PGI is produced in the municipalities of Oímbra, Verín, Castrelo do Val, Monterrei, Cualedro, Laza, Ríos and Vilardevós in the province of Ourense, in the autonomous community of Galicia.
Production Method
The seeds for sowing are obtained from the ripe, dried fruit and are red in colour. Seedlings are prepared at the beginning of March and planted out in the middle of May. They are planted 50 x 40 cm apart. The plants are irrigated at their base to avoid being damaged. Fertiliser must be rigorously organic and based on chicken and cow manure. The fruits are harvested by hand when they are semi-ripe, transported with great care to avoid any damage and stored in well ventilated warehouses.
Appearance and Flavour
Pemento de Oímbra PGI is long in shape with three to four ribs in its pericarp with no noticeable veining. The apex can be pointed or rounded. The skin is shiny and light green in colour with some yellow tones. Each fruit weighs between 100 and 200 gr, is 10-20cm long and between 6 and 8 cm wide. It has a medium aroma and the flavour is sweet rather than hot owing to the absence of capsicin.
History
The cultivation of Pemento de Oímbra PGI in the shire of Verín dates back to antiquity. Its fame has grown over the centuries, testified to recently by the establishment in 1998, of the Feira do Pemento which is held every year at the beginning of August. The fair is an important event and includes gastronomic competitions and professional conferences as well as celebrating the prestigious attributes of Pemento de Oímbra PGI.
Gastronomy
To maintain the organoleptic quality of Pemento de Oímbra PGI at its best it should be stored in a dry and ventilated place. Pemento de Oímbra PGI is often served as an accompaniment to meat, fish and shellfish dishes and also used in recipes such as warm salad of fresh cheese, ham, anchovies and peppers.
Marketing
The product is sold as Pemento de Oímbra PGI. It is sold fresh - generally available between 15th June and 15th October - in netting sacks weighing between 1 kg and 5 kg or in crates weighing between 5 kg and 10 kg. Other types of suitable packaging are possible.
Distinctive Features
Pemento de Oímbra PGI owes its particular organoleptic characteristics to the pedoclimatic features of the production area together with traditional cultivation methods, refined over the years to suit the specific conditions of the area.
