Majorcan paprika given European designation of origin registration

The harvesting of tap de corti must be by hand. (Archive image.)

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporter Palma 06/10/2020 13:34

The European Commission has registered the name Pebre Bord de Mallorca / Pimentón de Mallorca in the registry of protected designations of origin (PDO). The request for this registration was presented by the Spanish government, and the PDO will come into force twenty days after publication of the registration in the Official Journal of the European Union on Tuesday.

In the specifications for the PDO, it is established that the production of this paprika relies solely on the dried pepper of the native tap de cortí variety, that production is outdoors, and that only harvesting by hand is permitted. The paprika is characterised by its sweet flavour, its orange-red colour, an aroma of medium intensity and an absence of roasted aromas.

The paprika provides the theme for the autumn fair in Felanitx (Fira del Pebre Bord), which would normally take place in mid-October. The tap de cortí pepper was once widely cultivated in Majorca, reaching a peak at the end of the nineteenth century. Over the following decades it went into decline mainly because of competition from imports. It took until 2009 for a group of producers to launch a campaign for its revival.