Pepper Surprise

Last winter I bought a selection of pepper seeds from an online source. One pepper variety I bought on a lark was the Aji Dulce #2. The product description said "Looks just like the fiery red habanero, but without the heat!" I thought it would be fun to pop one in my mouth when I'm at a party at the home of one of my pepper growing friends. Mister Macho eats habaneros without even blinking.

The seeds germinated fairly quickly. Peppers are notorious for taking their own sweet time in sprouting. In fact, some hot peppers take weeks and require very specific temperature and moisture levels. This is why I haven't grown any Aji Amarillo peppers yet, though I've tried--Lord how I've tried.

The Aji Dulce plants were robust, growing quickly and transplanting easily into the garden. It didn't take long for the plants to reach their full height, about 18 inches. It also didn't take long for the plants to blossom and in what seemed like no time there were little peppers hanging down like Christmas bulbs. Green Christmas bulbs.

For at least two months I watched those peppers. They taunted me. They seemed to get lighter green over time, but that was probably an illusion brought on by wishful thinking. Finally one day, today actually, I noticed a red pepper on the plant. It had that nice warm red color of the habanero, as well as the classic shape.

I plucked that little beauty from the plant, excited that I finally had a ripe dulce. It was about the size of a strawberry--not the big strawberry, more like one of the smaller strawberries in the box. I just couldn't resist. I popped that baby in my mouth and chewed, ready to experience the smoky, sweet flavor that Aji Dulce are famous for. And it was hot. Really hot. Not run screaming for a glass of milk hot, but Louisiana Hot Sauce hot. Jalapeno hot. What the hell were you thinking? hot.

I was too distracted by the heat to notice the flavor. I like spicy foods. I enjoy eating peppers. There is no question that I enjoyed the dulce, once I got used to the burn, but what a shock. I'd say it was just about right for a raw pepper. It was sweeter than a jalapeno. My mouth burned for about half an hour. I don't usually like pepper heat that lasts that long, but this wasn't bad. In fact, it was good. I liked it.

Yet, I felt a little betrayed. This pepper was supposed to be mild and sweet. I've heard of surprise peppers. That's when a pepper variety is a little unpredictable and one in ten might be a little spicy. I've also heard of unstable cultivars. That's when a pepper variety is new and still hasn't become consistent in what results are obtained from the seeds.

Being the obsessive researcher that I am, I went right to Google. Wikipedia is such a great resource that I send them a donation every year.

Wikipedia informed me that Aji Dulce has been around a long time and has become a part of traditional cuisine in Venezuela and many other Latin countries. They are commonly used as a seasoning pepper.

I never depend on a single source, so I went to worldcrops.org and did a search. They confirmed that the Aji Dulce peppers have been around a long time. They may have originated in Brazil and spread to Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and other countries. The peppers are prized for their flavor without heat. They're famous for it.

Unfortunately, there may have been a little cross-pollination with habaneros going on and now the Aji Dulce has lost the trust of many buyers, particularly at markets in the United States. Too often someone with a sensitivity to the heat has gotten a nasty surprise. Bummer. I can relate. I used to be really sensitive, but I've built up a tolerance. 

I have gotten more interested in medium hot peppers since I ordered my seeds and this one definitely falls into that category. It might make a really good sauce. I'm pretty sure I've got left-over seeds in my seed vault.

Woohoo!

Stephen P.