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chile cora

gardenvato

gardenvato

this is probably a long shot, but i wanted to see if anyone has heard of this chile. ive had a hard time finding information on it and so far it has been impossible to find seeds for it.

i want seeds more for nostalgic reasons than anything. ive never tasted it, dont know how hot it is or anything, but my dad has talked a lot about it. his dad grew them when he was a kid in zacatecas, mexico.

the difficult thing is that there is a lot of name confusion with it. its called chile cora, named after the cora indian tribe that grew it. this tribe is from nayarit state, mexico. so i figured finding it there would be the best shot, but the last time i went to mexico we were only able to get to a touristy area of nayarit, and couldnt find any seed source.

when we went back to guadalajara it was even harder because in that area chile cora refers to chile bola, which is about the same as a hot cherry pepper. chile bola is also called chile cascabel, because it rattles when its dry, which is also the name for chile cora when it is dry.

so depending on the region of mexico, different names refer to different chiles. but these two that are both called cora are very different. the one is shaped more like a golf ball while the one i am looking for looks sort of like a jalapeno or serrano.

this is the only picture ive been able to find on the internet of it

http://tequilita.110mb.com/pics_adds/chiles.jpg

have any of you heard of it or have suggestions on where to look for seeds?
 
I was just given a bunch of Chile Cora. My friend Bought it back from his home town in Mexico and grew it this summer. If you send me your address I'll send you some peppers. Call me at 630-639-0167
 
Welcome to Mexican nomenclature...ask 5 Mexicans from different regions what something is called and you'll probably get 3 different answers. :D

I think the one you're looking for is more often called chile catarina (which means ladybug in Mexican Spanish), or catarinita (little lady bug). Not the same as chile bola, which is another name for cascabel (the round, golf ball-shaped one). Bola= ball in Spanish, so I'm not sure why they would call catarina bola, since it is longer and pointy and not ball-shaped.

This is a great site for information on Mexican chiles if you can read Spanish, or at least run it through a translator and get a general idea: http://html.rincondelvago.com/chiles-mexicanos.html

You probably know some Spanish since you have ancestors from Mexico, but I'll translate it in case you don't...

"Chile Catarina is similar to this (talking about cascabel which is mentioned above this entry)

Chile catarina. Dried chile, also called catarinita, immature the color is green, and mature it is a brilliant red, and is brownish red when dried, of oval form with a pointed tip, and grows to between 3-6 cm in length and no more than 3 cm in diameter, its skin is thin and gives a red color to sauces, it is used in stews, marinades, soups, and seasoned sauces/condiments. It is produced in Aguascalientes, central and northern Mexico, as well as the southern United States. It is curious that it sounds the same as chile cascabel."

Sounds like it is similar to cascabel, but shaped differently. And apparently it rattles like a cascabel, so maybe that's where the confusion comes from.

Cross Country Nurseries has it (they sell only live plants though), as well as one seed vendor I could find (not sure how reliable they are), and one listing on ebay. Buying seeds off of ebay usually isn't a great choice, but it's hard to imagine someone selling fake obscure Mexican chiles on ebay. Usually they stick to selling fake superhots. :D

http://www.chileplants.com/search.asp?ProductCode=CHICAT&ChileForm=&SizeID=&SearchMode=simple&LengthID=&WidthID=&HeightID=&OrientationID=&FoliageID=&FleshID=&UseID=&Color=&Location=&Keyword=&HeatID=&TypeID=&DeterminancyID=&CategoryID=1&SeasonID=&NewProduct=&Letter=&SearchButton=Pressed
http://www.g6csy.net/chile/var-c.html
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Catarina-HOT-HOT-HOT-chile-hot-pepper-seed-/310304602019

Looks like you already have a nice offer for some free seeds though. :cool:
 
my dad just brought these home from mezqquitic jalisco. they were growing wild on my uncle's land  out in the mountans. i plan to start one soon to collect seed. i find a high interest in these land race peppers cause i plan to cross breed and was looking for strong hardy genetics to do so.
 
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