Dried Aji Charapita Pepper

• dried Aji Charapita pepper
• The dried Aji Charapita pepper Plant
• How to Sow dried Aji Charapita pepper
• How to Grow dried Aji Charapita pepper
• Tips for dried Aji Charapita pepper
• Diseases and Pests of dried Aji Charapita pepper
• Uses and Curiosities of dried Aji Charapita pepper
• Properties of dried Aji Charapita pepper
• Nutritional Values of dried Aji Charapita pepper

dried Aji Charapita pepper

The dried Aji Charapita pepper is the original yellow variety, considered the "mother of all chili peppers", native to the Amazon jungles of northern Peru (Loreto and Ucayali regions). The tiny, rounded, pea-sized fruits ripen from green to a bright yellow-orange.

The dried Aji Charapita pepper Plant

plant belongs to the species Capsicum chinense and has a bushy habit that can exceed 1 meter in height. It is exceptionally productive, generating hundreds of small fruits per plant, and is compact and ornamental enough to be grown in a pot on a sunny windowsill.

How to Sow dried Aji Charapita pepper

sowing should be done between February and April, in a heated seedbed at constant temperatures of 26-28°C. Being of tropical origin, the plant needs constant warmth and humidity to germinate well, with fruits reaching ripeness in about 90-100 days from transplanting.

How to Grow dried Aji Charapita pepper

growing favors full sun exposure and a warm, humid environment year-round. Being perennial if sheltered from cold, the plant can be overwintered indoors and keep fruiting for several consecutive seasons.

Tips for dried Aji Charapita pepper

thanks to its compact size and very high productivity, Aji Charapita is perfect for container growing near kitchen herbs. In Peru, fresh fruits fetch very high market prices precisely because they are so rarely found outside their native range.

Diseases and Pests of dried Aji Charapita pepper

like other Capsicum chinense, it is generally resistant to bacteria and pests, but can occasionally be affected by aphids and red spider mites, especially under protected cultivation. Good air circulation between plants helps prevent the main fungal issues.

Uses and Curiosities of dried Aji Charapita pepper

Aji Charapita reaches a medium-high heat level, estimated between 30,000 and 50,000 SHU on the Scoville scale, comparable to a cayenne pepper, but with a distinctive fruity, citrusy aroma. Dried, it is used ground or whole to flavor rice, fish, chicken and spicy sauces of the Peruvian tradition.

Properties of dried Aji Charapita pepper

like all hot peppers, dried Aji Charapita is rich in capsaicin, the compound responsible for its heat and with rubefacient properties stimulating circulation, as well as vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.

Nutritional Values of dried Aji Charapita pepper

• Calories: about 40 kcal
• Protein: 2 g
• Carbohydrates: 8.6 g
• Fat: 0.9 g
• Fiber: 1.7 g