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Pimentos: What Are They Used For?

17 Mar 2022

Fine Dining Lovers

Editorial Staff

Pimentos are sweet peppers most closely associated with Spain, and they can be stuffed into the olive in a martini glass, pureed in cheese dips, or dried and made into paprika. Pimentos work as a garnish, an ingredient and a spice. So, what do we know about this versatile type of pepper?

What are pimentos?

Pimentos or pimientos are a type of pepper. They’re also known as cherry peppers because of their red colour and round, heart-shaped fruit. They come in various colours, including red, green, yellow, and maroon. Some are green when immature and turn red when they reach maturity. They usually measure about 7 to 10 cm long and 5 to 7 cm wide. Pimentos are a type of pepper with very little heat and a sweet flavour.

There is a possibility that you have eaten pimentos without being aware of it. Certain regions in Spain and the United States use pimentos to make paprika, a popular spice prepared by grinding various peppers into a fine powder. It is often the case that chefs worldwide prefer the mild, sweet flavour of paprika made with pimentos rather than the intense heat of other spices, such as cayenne. Pimentos are, in fact, among the mildest members of the pepper kingdom, with a rating on the Scoville scale between 100 and 500 heat units.

What is the origin of the name pimento?

It is intriguing to learn that what English speakers currently call 'pimento' or 'pimiento' is derived from Spanish and Portuguese and, despite the Iberian origin of the name, the actual object to which the word 'pimento' refers has changed over time. Its meaning in English and Spanish (as well as Portuguese) remains different today.

Historically, the Spanish and Portuguese terms 'pimiento' and 'pimento' have been used to describe only the bell pepper. As time passed, the definitions of these words evolved in their respective languages, and today the Iberian language speakers use ‘pimento’ and 'pimiento’ to refer to any type of pepper.

In English, in contrast to Spanish and Portuguese, the etymological evolution of the word ‘pimento’ has gone the opposite way. Now, in fact, the English word pimento identifies a particular type of pepper.

Are pimentos good for you?

Pimentos are high in vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin K, and are also a good source of vitamin E. Pimentos are low in saturated fats and very low in cholesterol. Pimentos are a good source of essential minerals such as Potassium, Copper, Manganese and Iron.

How to use pimentos

Prepping peppers requires discarding the stems, as it does with other peppers. It is commonly diced and stuffed into Spanish or Manzanilla olives in Mediterranean cuisine. In the United States, pimento-stuffed olives are traditionally served with martinis and served as a topping for pimento bread our grandmothers sliced and served as sandwiches.

A popular dinner party appetiser made with pimentos is pimento cheese, sometimes known as "the caviar of the South". It’s spread on crackers or bread. You can also stuff them with rice or cheese and serve them like stuffed mini peppers as a handheld appetiser.

In addition to those applications, pimentos can be used in any dish where a bell pepper would be appropriate.

What do they taste like?

If you cannot eat spicy peppers, pimentos are sweet and mild. They are among the mildest chilli peppers, with a Scoville heat rating between 100 and 500. They can be compared to a more aromatic and sweet red bell pepper. In comparison to the heat of jalapeño pepper, pimentos are about 40 times milder.

If you're looking to add some zip to a dish - and a little mystery, since it's not an ingredient that many people are familiar with - pimentos will fit the bill. You will instantly recognise their unmistakably sweet and slightly peppery taste once you've tried them.