A typical Yucatecan specialty, this chile is not very spicy and is frequently prepared stuffed, roasted on a flat grill or fresh thinly sliced with cilantro, lime juice and salt as a zesty condiment. (From the book “Plants of the Mayan World, Traditional Remedies, Food & Art”)
from: Chiles cultivados en Yucatán (USOS DE LA BIODIVERSIDAD)
The Mayan name of this chile means in Spanish blond or güero
(Velasco-Morales, 2003). The plant of this variety can reach a height of 35 cm to 70 cm, depending on the environmental conditions in which it is sown. The color of the leaf has different shades (dark green to light green). The chile xcat'ik or kaat iik immature is pale yellow, thin, pointed, with an elongated conical shape and somewhat wavy (Figure 1E); At maturity it becomes orange or red. It has a length ranging from 9.0 cm to 17.6 cm and a diameter of 2.1 cm to 3.4 cm. Its fresh weight can vary between 23.2 g and 55.8 g. In pungence, it can be moderately picky or very picky (Pickersgill, 1971). Capsaicin content in placenta ranging from 4.8 mg / g PS to 12.9 mg / g PS, with a mean of 8.47 mg / g PS, and of dihydrocapsaicin between 2.2 mg / g PS and 7.7 Mg / g PS, with an average of 4.38 mg / g PS. The values reported for capsaicin content in the placenta range from 0.07 mg / g PS to 0.29 mg / g PS, with a mean of 0.12 mg / g PS, and for dihydrocapsaicin an average of 0.027 mg / g . Generally this chili is consumed fresh, roasted, whole and unpeeled. It is an important ingredient of regional stews prepared based on turkey and chicken such as pickles, among others.
