12 - seeds

I harvested these seeds directly fromplants on my Amazon rainforest preserve in the Loreto region of Peru.Organic

What do these peppers look like?

Think pea-like and you’re close.These chilies are tiny, round and about a quarter of an inch across.The common chinense variety age from green to yellow when mature.There are red aji charapita that do tend to grow larger, but they arenot as common.

The aji charapita plant is wide andbushy, and from it, hundreds of these chilies can grow. One plant candeliver quite the return, if you have the space. These are not goodplants for container gardening, though the bushes can be used forlandscaping coverage in warmer climates.

What do aji charapita peppers tastelike?

There’s a fruitiness here that’snot common at this heat level. In fact, most chinense peppers (manyof which have fruity undertones) gravitate to the hotter level of thepepper scale, not the medium range. The fruitiness is akin tohabanero. If you’re looking for a chili with a fruity bite withoutthe extra to super-hot commitment, the aji charapita (along with itsPeruvian cousin, the aji amarillo) is an excellent choice.

How can you use these chilies?

In its native region, it’s often usedas a finishing spice. The juices of the chili are released bysqueezing down on the chili with the a fork or spoon. It provides afruity kick that works very well with rice dishes, fish, and chicken.

Aji charapita also are delicious insalsas and hot sauces where its fruity undertone works. It’s aterrific pairing with tropical fruits.

differences: Chiltepin are roughlydouble the heat (50,000 to 100,000 SHU) and nowhere near as fruity.