New pepper enthusiast here. I recently got my hands on a copy of "Peppers of the Americas" and learned that a distinctive flavor which I LOVE in hot sauces seem to be a family characteristic of the C. chinense family--Scotch Bonnet, Habanero, etc. I'm not really sure what to call this flavor--it's kind of a musky, smoky, slightly sweet taste. It's actually more of an aroma for me, as I can smell it right off the bat in most Habanero/Scotch Bonnet-based hot sauces.
I first got acquainted with this when I visited my friend in St. Kitts and tried a bottle of Scotch Bonnet hot sauce local to the island. I used to think it was due to another ingredient in the sauce, but now I understand that it's the peppers themselves that supply the taste/aroma. Anyway, now I'm obsessed with finding peppers that have this delicious aroma.
I'd really like to grow some peppers which are strong in this flavor next year and make some sauces out of them. In your (obviously subjective) opinion, what cultivars should I be looking for that are strongest in this characteristic aroma?
My heat tolerance is acceptable but not tremendously high--I can handle a habanero in cooking, but I wouldn't really eat a whole one raw--so bonus points if it's on relatively milder side as well.
I first got acquainted with this when I visited my friend in St. Kitts and tried a bottle of Scotch Bonnet hot sauce local to the island. I used to think it was due to another ingredient in the sauce, but now I understand that it's the peppers themselves that supply the taste/aroma. Anyway, now I'm obsessed with finding peppers that have this delicious aroma.
I'd really like to grow some peppers which are strong in this flavor next year and make some sauces out of them. In your (obviously subjective) opinion, what cultivars should I be looking for that are strongest in this characteristic aroma?
My heat tolerance is acceptable but not tremendously high--I can handle a habanero in cooking, but I wouldn't really eat a whole one raw--so bonus points if it's on relatively milder side as well.