The 22nd edition of the Festival del Peperoncino (Chili Pepper Festival) is set to begin in Diamante, a coastal town in the southern region of Calabria, on September 10.
One of the region’s most popular festivals, attracting up to 100,000 people from Italy and abroad, the five-day event is a celebration of the area’s chili peppers, a traditional product of Calabria.
More than 500 varieties will be on display; workshops, tastings, a chili pepper eating contest and a peperoncino lottery will also be part of the event. In addition, there will be an attempt to break the world record for the longest peperoncino garland – the current record is 200 meters, held by a Pisa team. Finally, many chili peppers experts from around the world will attend the festival.
The festival, organized by the Italian Chili Pepper Academy, takes place in the historic center and along the waterfront.
A few kilometers from Diamante, in Maierà, is the Peperoncino Museum, a must visit for anyone interested in learning more about the origins and evolution of peperoncino in Calabria.
