Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Capsicum baccatum

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Kingdom
  
Family
  
Scientific name
  
Capsicum baccatum

Rank
  
Species

Order
  
Genus
  
Higher classification
  
Peppers

Capsicum baccatum Culture sciencehistorylover

Lower classifications
  
Lemon drop pepper, Bishop's crown, Ají pepper

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Capsicum baccatum is a species of chili pepper that includes the following cultivars:

Contents

  • Ají amarillo, also called amarillo chili and ají escabeche
  • Peppadew
  • Lemon drop, ají limon (not to be confused with ají limo, a Capsicum chinense cultivar)
  • Bishop's crown
  • Brazilian Starfish
  • Wild Baccatum

  • Capsicum baccatum Hot Pepper Capsicum baccatum 39Aji Colorado39

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    Etymology

    Capsicum baccatum Capsicum baccatum Pepper TopTropicalscom

    Some form of the word Ají has been used since approximately 4600 BCE. It was first used in the protolanguage Otomanguean. It then spread along with the Capsicum fruit from Mexico to other pepper growing regions. Capsicum baccatum is still referred to as aji, while other peppers are referred to as pepper via the Spanish conquistadors noting of the similarity in heat sensation to Piper sp.

    Its Latin binomial is made up of Capsicum from the Greek kapos, and baccatum meaning berry-like.

    Origins and distribution

    Capsicum baccatum Capsicum baccatum Solanaceae The Greenhouses Botanical Flickr

    The C. baccatum species, particularly the Ají amarillo chili, has its origins in ancient Peru and across the Andean region of South America. It is typically associated with Peruvian cuisine, and is considered part of its condiment trinity together with red onion and cilantro. Ají amarillo literally means yellow chili; however, the yellow color appears when cooked, as the mature pods are bright orange.

    Cultivated baccatum (C. baccatum var. pendulum) is the domesticated pepper of choice of Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile.


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    Pepper varieties in the C. baccatum species have white or cream colored flowers, and typically have a green or gold corolla. The flowers are either insect or self-pollinated. The fruit pods of the baccatum species have been cultivated into a wide variety of shapes and sizes, unlike other capsicum species, which tend to have a characteristic shape. The pods typically hang down, unlike a Capsicum frutescens plant, and can have a citrus or fruity flavor.

    Culinary usage

    Capsicum baccatum Chilli Plants Capsicum Baccatum World of Chillies

    Yellow ají is one of the ingredients of Peruvian cuisine and Bolivian cuisine. It is used as a condiment, especially in many dishes and sauces. In Peru the chilis are mostly used fresh, and in Bolivia dried and ground. Common dishes with ají "amarillo" are the Peruvian stew Ají de Gallina ("Hen Chili"), Huancaina sauce and the Bolivian Fricase Paceno, among others. In Ecuadorian cuisine, Ají amarillo, onion, and lemon juice (amongst others) are served in a separate bowl with many meals as an optional additive.

    In Colombian cuisine, Peruvian Cuisine, and Ecuadorian cuisine, ají (sauce) is also a common condiment.

    Other uses

    The Moche culture often represented fruits and vegetables in their art, including Ají amarillo peppers.

    South American farmers also grow C. baccatum as ornamental plants for export.

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    References

    Capsicum baccatum Wikipedia