The friggitello (plural friggitelli) is a sweet Italian

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

of the species ''

Capsicum annuum ''Capsicum annuum'' is a species of the plant genus ''Capsicum'' native to southern North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. This species is the most common and extensively cultivated of the five domesticated capsicums. The spec ...

''. It is also known as the Golden Greek pepper, Sweet Italian pepper, or Tuscan pepper. In the United States they may be called "pepperoncini"; they are quite distinct from Italian

peperoncini Peperoncino (; plural peperoncini ) is the generic Italian name for hot chili peppers, specifically some regional cultivars of the species ''Capsicum annuum'' and '' C. frutescens'' (chili pepper and Tabasco pepper, respectively). The sweet pep ...

, which are hot Italian chili peppers. In the United States, they may also be called Greek golden pepperoncini peppers or mild golden Salonika peppers. The friggitello is mild with a slight heat and a hint of bitterness, and is sometimes

pickled Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and flavor. The resulting food is called ...

and sold in jars. In Italy the friggitello is most associated with

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

. The Greek variety, which is sweeter, is commonly used elsewhere in Europe and the United States.

Cultivation

Like many other cultivars of ''

'', the friggitello requires a warm climate with a lot of sunlight and is not tolerant of frost. The seeds take 10 to 14 days to germinate, after which the plant will reach maturity in 70 to 80 days. It appreciates slightly rich and well-drained soils, but overfertilized soil will result in fewer fruits. The plant has the potential to grow plenty of fruits, so it requires staking if it is to be prevented from falling over due to the weight of the fruits. The fruits should be harvested when they are long. Mature fruits will eventually turn red, but it is best to pick them while they are still green.

Culinary use

Even though it is often pickled, the friggitello has a complex flavor which is appreciated most when it is eaten fresh. It lends itself very well to

sautéing Sautéing or sauteing (, ; in reference to tossing while cooking) is a method of cooking that uses a relatively small amount of oil or fat in a shallow pan over relatively high heat. Various sauté methods exist. Description Ingredients for ...

stuffing Stuffing, filling, or dressing is an edible mixture, often composed of herbs and a starch such as bread, used to fill a cavity in the preparation of another food item. Many foods may be stuffed, including poultry, seafood, and vegetables. A ...

and popping. It combines nicely with fruits and is a suitable ingredient to use in

salad A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...

s and

compote Compote or compôte (French for ''mixture'') is a dessert originating from medieval Europe, made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are cooked in water with sugar and spices. The syrup may be seasoned with vanilla, lemo ...

s or on

sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

es. They are also often served with kebab, such as

İskender kebap İskender kebap is a Turkish dish that consists of sliced döner kebab meat topped with hot tomato sauce over pieces of pita bread (sometimes croutons) and generously slathered with melted special sheep's milk butter and yogurt. It can be prepar ...

. Pickled friggitelli can vary in color from bright yellow to bright yellow-green. Sometimes coloring is added. If pickled, friggitelli are sometimes briefly rinsed in cold water before serving to reduce the effects of the pickling brine on the taste.

References

Sources

* * {{Capsicum Cultivars Capsicum cultivars Chili peppers Italian cuisine