It would seem quite a coincidence if it was derived Javanero -> Habanero, and that also happened to be the name for locals of the main port it was traded from. I haven’t seen that theory anywhere in the literature, but it’s an interesting one to add to my kit. Are there examples of other things from Java which get called Habanero in Yucatan?
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chinense Landrace Cuban c. chinense?
- Thread starter austin87
- Start date
To answer your first point, those accessions will have been collected well after the period in question, so the scantness of hot chinense is what would be expected. The IPK gene bank has been operating less than 80 years.
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I don't have the slightest idea. I was actually quite surprised when I heard this folk-etymological explanation, but it does not sound as nonsense. I treat it as folk etymology unless the historical records show otherwise.
I was curious what that Cuban dictionary entry might contain, beyond the evidence of Datil being a popular Cuban pepper at one point. The Internet Archive has the 1862 edition available online, so I had a go at a machine assisted translation. I’ll include my transcription of the original so our resident Spanish speakers (especially Cuban Spanish) can correct the errors which are likely present.
Diccionario Provincial Casi-Razonado de Vozes Cubanas
Tercera Edicion (1862)
‘Ají (Capsicum)’ entry
Spanish:
English:
First, note that it would be best to almost entirely ignore the taxonomy presented and focus only on the pepper names and attributes. This dictionary isn’t using the same terms exactly, but for an example William Woys Weaver cautions in Heirloom Vegetable Gardening:
So, Cuba had an Ají Jobito at one time! It and the Venezuelan Ají Jobito are both named after a widespread tropical fruit (Spondias mombin), but I doubt the peppers are related. The popularity of the fruit makes it more likely that similar peppers were independently named for the resemblance.
After the Datil is defined by its strong smell, two other peppers are defined as smelling like Datil. These likely represent all or most of the chinense listed, whose shared funk is so unmistakable. One is unidentified, but the other is Ají Cachucha (apparently also called Ají Guinea) which is probably the most used chinense in Cuba today. No mention of Habanero, so the effort to clarify its origin continues. It might be Cuba, but this evidence suggests not in 1862 at least.
So, I retract my earlier post inasmuch as it theorized about Habanero. The Datil remains as probably the best example of a (albeit historically) popular, spicy Cuban chinense.
Diccionario Provincial Casi-Razonado de Vozes Cubanas
Tercera Edicion (1862)
‘Ají (Capsicum)’ entry
Spanish:
Planta que echa un tallo nudoso herbáceo de dos a tres pies de altura y lleno de ramas; las hojas aovadas y puntiagudas con el borde sin dientes ni marca alguna y de un verde subido. Hay varias especies, comprendiéndose bajo este nombre sus frutos todos picantes o dulces, con la distincion de su clase: no es usada la palabra pimiento.
Entre los primeros se cuentan el Ají Agujeta, así llamado por su configuracion larga y puntada.
(Capsicum baccatum)
—Lengua de Pájaro, aplastado y en figura de tal.
—Corazon de Paloma, que cuando madura se pone morado.
—Dátil, por la semejanza de su comparativo: tiene mui fuerte y exitante el olor, y es de los más usados.
—Escurre o Escurre-Huespedes, largo casi de una pulgada, delgado, colorado o moraduzco, mui picante, que Descourtilz llama piment mozambique.
—Jobo o Jobito, parecido a la fruta de este nombre.
—Guaguao do hoja pequeña y el fruto del tamaño de la pimienta, rojo o amarillo cuando madura, mui picante y usado, mayormente en Tierradentro: el Sinsonte, Zorzal, palomas silvestres y aves domèsticas comen el fruto, y el ganado vacuno toda la planta, que aparece en los desmontes de ticrras ferazes y en los bosques: pulverizado aquel sirve para sinapismos, y es tambien remedio eficaz para curar la masamorra.
(Capsicum microcarpum.)
—He visto en Villaclara otra especie parecida; pero de figura aovada sin picante y con el olor del Dátil.
—El Chile, parecido a los dulces, aunque bien picante.
(Capsicum annum)
—Caballero que casi pertenece a los dulces. En estos se notan el comun o pimiento.
—el Cabeza de Vaca, por su configuracion.
—Cornicabra, lo mismo
—de Cachucha o Guinea que huele como el picante Dátil, color rojo cuando madura.
Entre los primeros se cuentan el Ají Agujeta, así llamado por su configuracion larga y puntada.
(Capsicum baccatum)
—Lengua de Pájaro, aplastado y en figura de tal.
—Corazon de Paloma, que cuando madura se pone morado.
—Dátil, por la semejanza de su comparativo: tiene mui fuerte y exitante el olor, y es de los más usados.
—Escurre o Escurre-Huespedes, largo casi de una pulgada, delgado, colorado o moraduzco, mui picante, que Descourtilz llama piment mozambique.
—Jobo o Jobito, parecido a la fruta de este nombre.
—Guaguao do hoja pequeña y el fruto del tamaño de la pimienta, rojo o amarillo cuando madura, mui picante y usado, mayormente en Tierradentro: el Sinsonte, Zorzal, palomas silvestres y aves domèsticas comen el fruto, y el ganado vacuno toda la planta, que aparece en los desmontes de ticrras ferazes y en los bosques: pulverizado aquel sirve para sinapismos, y es tambien remedio eficaz para curar la masamorra.
(Capsicum microcarpum.)
—He visto en Villaclara otra especie parecida; pero de figura aovada sin picante y con el olor del Dátil.
—El Chile, parecido a los dulces, aunque bien picante.
(Capsicum annum)
—Caballero que casi pertenece a los dulces. En estos se notan el comun o pimiento.
—el Cabeza de Vaca, por su configuracion.
—Cornicabra, lo mismo
—de Cachucha o Guinea que huele como el picante Dátil, color rojo cuando madura.
English:
A plant that puts out a gnarled, herbaceous stem two to three feet high and full of branches; the leaves ovate and pointed, without teeth or mark, and of a bright green. There are several species, and included here are their fruit classed as picante or dulce: the word pimiendo is not used.
Among the first entries are the Ají Agujeta [Needle Pepper], named after its long, pointed form.
(Capsicum baccatum)
—Lengua de Pájaro [Bird’s Tongue], flattened and shaped like bird’s tongue.
—Corazon de Paloma [Pigeon’s Heart], which turns purple when ripe.
—Dátil [Date], for the similarity of its namesake: it has a very strong and arousing odor, and it is one of the most used.
—Escurre or Escurre-Huéspedes, about an inch long, thin, red or purple, very hot. Descourtiz calls it piment mozambique.
—Jobo or Jobito, similar to the fruit of this name.
—Guaguao [Little/Costless Thing], with small leaves and fruit the size of peppercorns, red or yellow when ripe, very hot. Mostly used in Tierradentro: the wild pigeons and domestic birds eat the fruit, and cattle eat the whole plant, which appears in fertile clearings and forests. Ground, it serves as a mustard plaster [warming poultice made with mustard powder], and it’s also an effective remedy for blisters.
(Capsicum microcarpum)
—I’ve seen a similar species in Villaclara, but ovate, without heat, and with the same aroma as Dátil.
—Chile, similar to the dulces, but very hot.
(Capsicum annum)
—Caballero [Gentleman], which almost belongs with the dulces. In these the common, or bell pepper, is notable.
—Cabeza de Vaca [Cow’s Head], for its shape.
—Cornicabra [Goat’s Horn], the same [for its shape].
—Cachucha [Cap] or Guinea, which smells like the spicy Dátil, red when ripe.
Among the first entries are the Ají Agujeta [Needle Pepper], named after its long, pointed form.
(Capsicum baccatum)
—Lengua de Pájaro [Bird’s Tongue], flattened and shaped like bird’s tongue.
—Corazon de Paloma [Pigeon’s Heart], which turns purple when ripe.
—Dátil [Date], for the similarity of its namesake: it has a very strong and arousing odor, and it is one of the most used.
—Escurre or Escurre-Huéspedes, about an inch long, thin, red or purple, very hot. Descourtiz calls it piment mozambique.
—Jobo or Jobito, similar to the fruit of this name.
—Guaguao [Little/Costless Thing], with small leaves and fruit the size of peppercorns, red or yellow when ripe, very hot. Mostly used in Tierradentro: the wild pigeons and domestic birds eat the fruit, and cattle eat the whole plant, which appears in fertile clearings and forests. Ground, it serves as a mustard plaster [warming poultice made with mustard powder], and it’s also an effective remedy for blisters.
(Capsicum microcarpum)
—I’ve seen a similar species in Villaclara, but ovate, without heat, and with the same aroma as Dátil.
—Chile, similar to the dulces, but very hot.
(Capsicum annum)
—Caballero [Gentleman], which almost belongs with the dulces. In these the common, or bell pepper, is notable.
—Cabeza de Vaca [Cow’s Head], for its shape.
—Cornicabra [Goat’s Horn], the same [for its shape].
—Cachucha [Cap] or Guinea, which smells like the spicy Dátil, red when ripe.
First, note that it would be best to almost entirely ignore the taxonomy presented and focus only on the pepper names and attributes. This dictionary isn’t using the same terms exactly, but for an example William Woys Weaver cautions in Heirloom Vegetable Gardening:
So, Cuba had an Ají Jobito at one time! It and the Venezuelan Ají Jobito are both named after a widespread tropical fruit (Spondias mombin), but I doubt the peppers are related. The popularity of the fruit makes it more likely that similar peppers were independently named for the resemblance.
After the Datil is defined by its strong smell, two other peppers are defined as smelling like Datil. These likely represent all or most of the chinense listed, whose shared funk is so unmistakable. One is unidentified, but the other is Ají Cachucha (apparently also called Ají Guinea) which is probably the most used chinense in Cuba today. No mention of Habanero, so the effort to clarify its origin continues. It might be Cuba, but this evidence suggests not in 1862 at least.
So, I retract my earlier post inasmuch as it theorized about Habanero. The Datil remains as probably the best example of a (albeit historically) popular, spicy Cuban chinense.
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Yeah, the genes responsible for no heat are recessive and require ruthless roguing and rigorous seed saving techniques. As maintained by hobbyists, they nearly always develop some heat.
Biquinho, Cachucha, Margariteño (the farmers on Margarita emphasized how hard they work to maintain heatlessness as part of their application for Denomination of Origin)… there are lots.
Biquinho, Cachucha, Margariteño (the farmers on Margarita emphasized how hard they work to maintain heatlessness as part of their application for Denomination of Origin)… there are lots.
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So much interesting knowledge in this thread! Learning a lot