This photograph shows strings of Espelette pepper hanging from a window during the Espelette pepper festival in Espelette, southwestern France on October 25, 2026. In the Basque Country, following a summer of intense heatwaves and a historic drought, even the iconic Espelette pepper is parched; producers believe that irrigation, previously prohibited, is the only solution. (Photo by Gaizka IROZ / AFP via Getty Images)