The Piquillo pepper is the small, sweet red pepper from Navarre prized for roasting and preserving in jars.
Piquillo peppers are a mild variety of Capsicum annuum traditionally associated with the area around Lodosa in northern Spain. Their name comes from the Spanish word for “little beak,” describing the pointed shape of the fruit. They are generally about 7 centimeters long and have little to no heat, making their flavor closer to a sweet pepper than a hot chili.
Traditionally, the peppers are hand-picked, roasted over embers, peeled, and cleaned before being packed in jars or tins. Roasting gives them a distinctive smoky sweetness. They are frequently served as tapas or stuffed with ingredients such as seafood, meat, or cheese. Padrón peppers are a different Spanish variety: they are green and small, and some can be surprisingly hot. Pimiento de cristal is also associated with Navarre, but it is not the canonical answer to this question’s roasted, jarred pepper clue.