"Long Italian Hot Pepper"

We've been growing this pepper in our family for maybe 50 years. My Dad (the original Pepper Joe) said he got the seeds in South Philly at the Italian market there on 9th Street.
Man, I love this pepper fried whole in olive oil, fresh parsley and salt and pepper.
We use it as a side dish for Breaded veal, chicken, fish and beef dishes.
It's delicious in a sandwich with a hard roll and sharp cheese like provolone.
Also, it makes an awesome Pepper and Egg Omelet when you lose the seeds.
It's about a 5 or a 6 on a 1 to 10 Heat Scale.

I'm going to introduce it in my 2012 Catalog as it is growing extrmely well and very prolific in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Fort Myers, Florida and Michigan in our test gardens.


I'm trying to find out the actual name of it so it's not an issue if I call it what we've referred to it over the years, the "Long Italian Pepper". Again, it's medium hot, averages 6" or 7" although we've had some reach 11" and it is medium green as you see in the pic. It has a sloped shoulder and is fairly fleshy.
Do you know the actual name?
Or is it universally called the Long Hot Italian Pepper??

ps....received a few emails from folks that did business with the original Pepper Joe back in the day.
I took Dad out of retirement at 70 years old and he grew many of the peppers and handled shipping and handling. He did that until he hit 80 years old. He went to the Big Pepper farm in the sky at the ripe age of 88.
RIP Pepper Joe Senior.
Here's a pic of us back in 1988 when I founded the Pepper Joe company. Wassup with my hair and shirt?
Hey man, that was the eighties...it was cool back then....that's my story and I'm sticking with it.
------>>>

Could it be the same peppers known as "Pinochio's Nose"? If so, they're quite tasty... A friend sent me a jar of pickled ones... Mmmm, good!

There are many Italian peppers like that, Piccante Cornaletto Calabrese is one, but there are others.
Since it's essentially an un-named pepper, I'd name it after the produce stand it came from, or your Dad!


~Dig

Do you remember the name of the South Philly Italian market where "Pappa PJ" got the seeds back when you were still a seedling ?

If I had to guess I would say an heirloom Italian Roaster pepper. What province who knows. Naming it after your dad sounds great

Corno di Toro?

5-6 on a heat scale of 1 to 10? What kind of scale is that, a logarithmic one? If you're using the superhots as a 10 there's no way that pepper is anywhere near a 5 or 6. A fatalii wouldn't even be a 5.

Good call Avon. I used to look at heat like a Paprika maybe being a 1 or 2....and the Habanero family or chinense being a 10....now the Superhots are the 11+.

Thanks everyone for the input so far....and I know it's not a Corno Di Toro because we sell that one...it's thicker and not as tasty.
Pepper Joe

I don't have a lot of personal experiance with peppers yet, but I've been spending some time looking through chili databases and at seed sellers... so maybe i can be of some help.
could use a little more info though, like what color do the pods ripen to?

you could try going here: http://www.thechileman.org/results.php?page=1&chile=1&find=Any&heat=Any&origin=Italy&genus=Any and looking through the itallian peppers.
some I noticed look simular are the "senise pepper", "lingua di satana", "itallian roaster", "fertilissimo", "calabria", and "amando".

kinda looks like a cow horn pepper too, but i don't think those are itallian.

anyways, hope this helped.
keep up the great work pepper joe