Caribbean Red Habanero – This was one of the first chiles to ripen on any my plants. These CR’s are really amazing plants. They are the only C.chinense plants I have that I have had zero issues with. I even had an extra that I threw in a 4” pot that is now full of pods and flowers. They just grow and grow and fruit and grow no matter how bad or good you treat them. The one I ate was a medium - small red pod, smooth and pretty boring looking. Cutting it open there was no rush of Aroma, smelling it revealed a typical red habanero smell with a slightly fruity scent. Skin was thinner than the Trinidad Congo but similar. Taste was sweet with a light fruity flavor. I did not pick up a heavy habanero flavor. Very nice! I think I like the taste of these better than Trinidad Congo’s. Heat was little more than an Orange Habanero. Some burning in the back of tongue and a nice burn on the top of the throat and they did make my ears hurt for about a minute. That’s a first. I am torn if I should grow these next year or not. I am thinking I might actually put a few of these in the ground and see if they grow just as well. I only have a few places to put plants in the ground and the soil is terrible. I really don’t want to have to excavate to amend the soil so these may be the ticket. Really the only thing keeping these from being a for sure grow next year it the fact that they are pretty small and boring looking. Still holding out for Antilles, but if not, this is my favorite red habanero so far.
Sean’s Naga-Scorpion Cross – Had this one with my lunch. This small, thin pepper looked like a Tabasco. Smooth skin and nice bright red color. Bit into it before I started eating to get the flavor. Woah… that is one juicy pepper. Seems like you could squeeze out a small teaspoon of juice. Skin was very tough but thin overall. The juicy pulp separated nicely but the outside skin had to be chewed a lot to break it down. This seems like it could almost be a Tabasco cross. Flavor… no doubt… you can taste the Naga. Very very strong Naga flavor, really too strong for my taste. Not as hot as a Scorpion or a Naga but still fairly hot. Got more burn from the Naga-Jalapeno I think… but that was a bigger piece. I don’t think this pepper is a match for me. Someone who loves the naga flavor would go crazy for this.
Brazilian Starfish – Grew these myself. Was my best plant out of 55 or so, probably because it is a C.baccatuum. Mine grew over 4 feet tall, and never looked stressed or slowed by the hot weather. Very surprised how well it did. This thing is incredibly prolific. First harvest has the plant loaded down with over 50 pods. Chiles are small about 1.5 inches in diameter. They are pretty flat look like a flying saucer or a fat starfish / sand dollar. Color is a nice red at maturity and they are dense and hard to the touch. Cut open there is no odor, smelling them reveals a sweet, peppery and poddy aroma. Thick crisp juicy flesh with a tough skin. Flavor was unusual mostly a poddy and peppery flavor with a hint of sweet. Initially I was not impressed but I ate a few of them and they kind of grew on me. Aftertaste for me was the same as eating a green grape just not as sweet. Heat was pretty mild after 3 of them I had a light burn on the tongue and roof of my mouth. I have read that these are best used green. I will try a green one and update this if they are measurably better. This was a fun and feel good plant to grow but I don’t think I would grow it again next year.
Aji Cristal – Another pepper from Jacob and another C.baccatuum . The Aji Cristal is a small tapered pepper 3” to 3.5” long and about as thin as your pinky. Nice orange-red color. Very high seed count and fairly thin skin. Smells poddy and slightly sweet. Flavor is poddy sweet and pimento very nice balance of flavor, I really like it. Heat is pretty good too. Nice light to medium burn on the tongue and a tad on the roof of the mouth. I think this would add a nice flavor dimension to a fresh salsa. This one is also supposed to have its best flavor when immature. Anybody care to comment if that is true? This is near the top of my “If I have space to grow” list.
Lemon Drop - Another pepper from Jacob and another C.baccatuum . The Lemon Drop is a small tapered pepper 2” to 3” long and thin. Looks like a Cayenne or Tabasco. Nice lemon yellow color. Low seed count and a thin skin. This is a popular pepper and has reputation for great flavor. I personally did not taste a lemony flavor. It had a very unique sweet taste to it that I could not put my finger on. I had several of them, but the flavor just did not grow on me. I did really like the heat which was a pretty nice and unique back of the tongue and top of the throat burn. It had quite a bit more intensity than the Aji Cristal and lasted a much longer 10+ minutes. I am also growing this plant and a few pods are almost ready to eat. Since so many people like these, I will update this after I try one fresh off of my plant. For now I would not grow this next year. The unique burn gives it a potential for me to change my mind however.
Sean’s Naga-Scorpion Cross – Had this one with my lunch. This small, thin pepper looked like a Tabasco. Smooth skin and nice bright red color. Bit into it before I started eating to get the flavor. Woah… that is one juicy pepper. Seems like you could squeeze out a small teaspoon of juice. Skin was very tough but thin overall. The juicy pulp separated nicely but the outside skin had to be chewed a lot to break it down. This seems like it could almost be a Tabasco cross. Flavor… no doubt… you can taste the Naga. Very very strong Naga flavor, really too strong for my taste. Not as hot as a Scorpion or a Naga but still fairly hot. Got more burn from the Naga-Jalapeno I think… but that was a bigger piece. I don’t think this pepper is a match for me. Someone who loves the naga flavor would go crazy for this.
Brazilian Starfish – Grew these myself. Was my best plant out of 55 or so, probably because it is a C.baccatuum. Mine grew over 4 feet tall, and never looked stressed or slowed by the hot weather. Very surprised how well it did. This thing is incredibly prolific. First harvest has the plant loaded down with over 50 pods. Chiles are small about 1.5 inches in diameter. They are pretty flat look like a flying saucer or a fat starfish / sand dollar. Color is a nice red at maturity and they are dense and hard to the touch. Cut open there is no odor, smelling them reveals a sweet, peppery and poddy aroma. Thick crisp juicy flesh with a tough skin. Flavor was unusual mostly a poddy and peppery flavor with a hint of sweet. Initially I was not impressed but I ate a few of them and they kind of grew on me. Aftertaste for me was the same as eating a green grape just not as sweet. Heat was pretty mild after 3 of them I had a light burn on the tongue and roof of my mouth. I have read that these are best used green. I will try a green one and update this if they are measurably better. This was a fun and feel good plant to grow but I don’t think I would grow it again next year.
Aji Cristal – Another pepper from Jacob and another C.baccatuum . The Aji Cristal is a small tapered pepper 3” to 3.5” long and about as thin as your pinky. Nice orange-red color. Very high seed count and fairly thin skin. Smells poddy and slightly sweet. Flavor is poddy sweet and pimento very nice balance of flavor, I really like it. Heat is pretty good too. Nice light to medium burn on the tongue and a tad on the roof of the mouth. I think this would add a nice flavor dimension to a fresh salsa. This one is also supposed to have its best flavor when immature. Anybody care to comment if that is true? This is near the top of my “If I have space to grow” list.
Lemon Drop - Another pepper from Jacob and another C.baccatuum . The Lemon Drop is a small tapered pepper 2” to 3” long and thin. Looks like a Cayenne or Tabasco. Nice lemon yellow color. Low seed count and a thin skin. This is a popular pepper and has reputation for great flavor. I personally did not taste a lemony flavor. It had a very unique sweet taste to it that I could not put my finger on. I had several of them, but the flavor just did not grow on me. I did really like the heat which was a pretty nice and unique back of the tongue and top of the throat burn. It had quite a bit more intensity than the Aji Cristal and lasted a much longer 10+ minutes. I am also growing this plant and a few pods are almost ready to eat. Since so many people like these, I will update this after I try one fresh off of my plant. For now I would not grow this next year. The unique burn gives it a potential for me to change my mind however.
