Chile Pepper Fun Fact - Aji Lemon Drop
Mmmm... Yellow Lemon Drop Peppers
Also known as Kellu Uchu in Peru or Aji Lemon Drop, you’ll never get tired of growing the Lemon Drop with their surprising spicy, citrus, tangy flavors! Not only are their flavors amazing for many culinary meals, but the Aji Limon pepper is also an unforgettable ornamental plant that you’ll want to stare at all day long in your garden. The 3-foot tall Hot Lemon pepper plant heavily produces gorgeous, crinkly, thin-walled pods that will ripen from green to clear lemon yellow, and sometimes to dark purple blush. The Aji Limo peppers will grow to 2-3 inches long with very few seeds. The Lemon Drop pepper Scoville is between 15,000-30,000 SHUs so you’ll notice a medium-heat punch when you eat it raw, a heat similar to the Cayenne, Serrano, or Tabasco.
It does have a hint of lemon and citrus, making it ideal for chicken, fish and seafood meals. The Aji Lemon pepper also makes a delicious pepper powder, flakes, salsas, and hot sauces.
The Lemon Drop chile is very popular in Peru as a tangy seasoning for meals and snacks. Its name means “Lima Pepper’ which is referring to the Peruvian city.
Chile Pepper Fun Fact - Aji Charapita
What is the rarest type of pepper?
The Aji Charapita Hot Pepper...
Selling for very high prices to Lima’s best chefs, this pepper is the most expensive in the world! The north Peruvian jungle native is a wild bushy plant which produces hundreds of hot, small (.25 inch), round Tepin-like peppers. The pepper has a distinct fruity, citrus aroma and is equal in heat to a cayenne pepper. Due to its rarity and hefty prices, it is often known as the "Mother of All Chilis" and is very hard to source outside of Peru. We are happy here at Baker Creek to bring such an amazing pepper to light! Used fresh, this tiny pepper is known to have a strong fruity flavor that gives salsas and sauces a unique tropical taste. More often, it is used as powder for various dishes. Baker Creek's Shannie McCabe and Deb Vlietstra found this variety growing in a pot in a Peruvian friend's house. Indeed, the Aji Charapita is a popular house plant in Peru, where the delicious peppers are harvested as needed right in the kitchen.
Hot Sauce Fun Fact - According to Instacart
According to Instacart, North Dakota consumes the most amount of hot sauce, averaging 5.4 ounces per consumer. New Mexico ranks second at 4.4 ounces per person, and Colorado ranks third, coming in at 4.0 ounces of hot sauce per person. These regions have a considerable lead over most of the country, as many states barely break the 2.0-ounce mark. Hawaii, Iowa, and Arkansas rank as the states that eat the least amount of hot sauce, with each person respectively consuming 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5 ounces of hot sauce in each state.
The 7-Pot is from Trinidad, and there are a few different versions, including the Yellow 7-Pot, the 7-Pot Jonah, and the Chocolate, or 7-Pot Douglah. It is related to the Trinidad Scorpion Pepper and has rough, pimpled skin, but is more plump, with a ribbed texture and a more fruity flavor. Its name refers to the saying that it is hot enough to spice 7 pots of stew. In Trinidad, it is used in military grade tear gas and marine paint, which prevents barnacles.
The heat of the 7-Pot pepper is similar to the Bhut Jolokia but with a fruitier and nuttier flavor, like other Caribbean peppers. It is becoming more popular and well-known among Chileheads.
SALSA takes on many different forms as you might expect from a dish that has been around for thousands of years in one form or another. The Aztecs, Mayans, and Incans all had their versions of it! The list below covers six of the most popular types of salsa you should know. Each has its own best use cases, so learn them and use them well!
- Pico de gallo - Pico de gallo is an uncooked salsa — also called a salsa cruda — made with fresh ingredients. The typical pico de gallo contains tomato, onion, and peppers along with cilantro and lime juice. You can make it hot with jalapeño or serrano chilies or you can use bell peppers for a mild version.
- Salsa roja - With a name that means “red sauce”, salsa roja is one of the better known Mexican salsas. It is made with ripe red tomatoes to give it its characteristic bright red color. Salsa roja is most similar to the jarred salsa so popular throughout the United States. Salsa roja is the main salsa in most Tex-Mex restaurants. Most recipes will include onions, garlic, and chili peppers. Salsa roja is traditionally used as a condiment for tacos and burritos. It’s also used as a topper for meats like chicken and beef.
- Salsa verde - To give it the green color referred to in the name, the Mexican version of salsa verde is usually made with tomatillos instead of tomatoes. Aside from the tomatillos, other ingredients are the same ones that show up in other salsa recipes like salsa roja. The typical salsa verde ingredients include peppers, onions, and cilantro.
- (BONUS) Jalapeño Salsa verde - Note that while tomatillo salsa is what is most often referred to as salsa verde, some people consider other green sauces like chimichurri sauce to also fall into the salsa verde category. Chimichurri sauce is a bright green Argentinian sauce made with cilantro and parsley.
- Salsa criolla - Unlike the other salsas on this list, salsa criolla is red onion-based rather than tomato-based. Other ingredients include aji amarillo peppers and cilantro. A salsa criolla will also have lime juice as a source of acidity — think of it as a ceviche without the seafood. You determine how hot it is by how much of the pepper you add.
- Salsa taquera - Taco sauce is what this salsa’s name translates to and it is traditionally served at Mexican taco stands. Similar to Pace’s Picante sauce, taco sauce is known for being spicy. While its main function is as a taco condiment, it works as a dip as well. Use it like salsa roja or any of the standard salsas.
- Salsa ranchera - Salsa ranchera delivers a few novel twists on the standard red sauce recipe since it involves roasting the tomatoes for a smokier, more savory flavor. Bringing additional umami notes to the mix is Worcestershire sauce, called salsa inglesa — or English sauce — in Mexico. Salsa ranchera is best known as the type of salsa used to make huevos rancheros, but you can use it like any other tomato-based salsa — as a topping or a dip.