In 2022, chef Bobby Flay collaborated with Misfits Market to showcase his extensive pantry, and one uncommon canned chili fans noticed stocked in his pantry was piquillo peppers.

Named after the Spanish word for "little beak," piquillo peppers are small, pyramid-shaped red chilis commonly grown in the northern Spanish regions of La Rioja and Navarre.

People of Lodosa, a town in Navarre, take special pride in these peppers and call them "red gold." In Spain, they’re eaten with cod, stuffed with anchovies, or reduced into a jam.

In terms of heat, piquillo peppers are above banana, pepperoncini, and pimento peppers and below the Poblano. They score pretty low on the SHU scale, which ranks food by spiciness.

Piquillo peppers sit at 500 to 1,000 SHU on the SHU (Scoville Heat Unit) scale. For reference, bell peppers have 0 SHU, and Carolina Reapers clock in at 1,400,000 to 2,200,000 SHU.

Piquillos’ heat is further masked by their ripe red bell pepper-like sweetness. With a hint of smokiness, the peppers are ideal for any type of dish, be it roasts, stews, or soups.