From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The ají pepper, also known as Peruvian hot pepper, is a unique species of chili pepper, Capsicum baccatum, containing several different breeds. The most common are simply differentiated by color, like "yellow Peruvian hot pepper" or ají amarillo. These peppers have a distinctive, fruity flavor, and are commonly ground into colorful powders for use in cooking, each identified by its color. In Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Puerto Rico, the word ají refers to any chile or chile sauce.
[edit] Characteristics
- Orange color when mature
- Size: from 10 to 15 [ [ cm ] ] of length and 2 to 3.5 cm wide, forms extended conic section.
- Used in Peruvian cuisine: "Papa a la Huancaína” (Potatoes with Huancaina sauce), "Causa Limeña" (Mashed potatoes and fish dish) , tamales, carapulcra (dried potato stew), tiradito (fresh fish marinade in aji pepper sauce with lemon), etc.
- The flowering and fruition must occur when the temperature fluctuates between 18 and 25 ºC; at greater temperatures the pepper becomes deformed and loses rigidity and shape.
The Moche culture had a fascination with agriculture and represented fruits and vegetables in their art. Ají peppers were often depicted. [1]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
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