Hey guys, I grew a kung pao plant this past summer, and brought it indoors when the weather got warm. I think its broken. It's a beautiful plant, but the peppers coming off it taste terrible. Can anyone describe the flavor of a Kung Pao to me? These peppers tasted like bitter green beans, and they were fully ripened. Its unfortunate, because the plant itself looks really healthy, and has a nice dark rich green color. I might just keep it indoors as a house plant and forget about having it pod.
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Kung Pao flavor
- Thread starter Rawkstah
- Start date
"I think it's broken...." 
I wonder about the stability of Kung Pao (I've seen it listed as a hybrid??). Two seasons ago I grew two plants from the same seed stock, one had a really nice taste, the other not as nice (still OK-ish, but different). I saved seeds from the nice tasting plant and grew them this season. Pods look a little different to the first plants I grew and I am getting a similar taste to what you describe.
I wonder about the stability of Kung Pao (I've seen it listed as a hybrid??). Two seasons ago I grew two plants from the same seed stock, one had a really nice taste, the other not as nice (still OK-ish, but different). I saved seeds from the nice tasting plant and grew them this season. Pods look a little different to the first plants I grew and I am getting a similar taste to what you describe.
very similar to cayenne - so that gives you a broad range of flavour from mild cayenne to sweet and juicy cayenne. if i remember, it wasn't as strongly flavoured, so milder cayenne but then that really depends on growing conditions too. maybe a flavour that is a blend of cayenne and superchile.
i would grow them over cayenne but then i have never tried pepperjoe's charleston cayenne version.
a few years ago, i was given a suryanki cluster plant grown from seeds from india by a neighbour. the pods from the neighbours original plant pack some heat and tasted like cayenne, the plant i grew out had the same nice, red pods but when i tasted them, they were bell pepper like and zero heat - and this was two plants. the only thing i could think was i didn't stress the plant enough.
i would grow them over cayenne but then i have never tried pepperjoe's charleston cayenne version.
a few years ago, i was given a suryanki cluster plant grown from seeds from india by a neighbour. the pods from the neighbours original plant pack some heat and tasted like cayenne, the plant i grew out had the same nice, red pods but when i tasted them, they were bell pepper like and zero heat - and this was two plants. the only thing i could think was i didn't stress the plant enough.
