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plant "Ougon"

Omuro

Omuro

Hi there. Long time lurker, first time poster.
 
I live in Japan and grow a couple of pepper plants every summer as a hobby. I am interested in growing what is supposed to be the hottest Japanese pepper and am looking for more information on it in English. The pepper is called 黄金 and is pronounced "Ougon" in Japanese. Its literal translation is "Yellow Gold" and I have seen on website call it "Gold Pepper." Supposed to have been introduced to Japan in the late 1500s. I have only seen it sold as a powder (to be added to udon noodle soup, Japanese curry, etc). It is possible to buy seedlings online.
 
"Ougon" is listed on one website as Capsicum annuum. The plant grows to 60-80 cm in height, and the peppers grow to 0.8 cm in width and 10-13 cm in length. It is between 50,000 to 120,000 SHU. I'm including some pictures.
 
So does anyone know anything about this pepper? Mainly, what's its common English name? I've tasted the powder and thought it was similar to cayenne powder, with slightly more bitterness and depth. But I am not a hot pepper expert and my experience is limited. 
 
 
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Thanks for the welcome messages and for the replies. Unfortunately, I can't find any pictures of its flower.
 
I looked up "Golden Cayenne" and they certainly look similar. According to seedaholic, Golden Cayenne "was first documented in 1493 and brought from Chile to Portugal." Japan traded exclusively with Portugal in the late 1500s. So that might be it! 
 
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Welcome from Florida, US
I was thinking the same, but its growth habit looks different. The Golden Cayenne I have seem to snake along the ground, while this one seems to grow more vertically. Of course maybe only mine do this, while others might grow more upright. I have not grown it out enough times to observe it variations, to know for sure. What does the plant look like overall? Can you give us a shot of the entire plant? Maybe next time a flower pops up you can photograph it... Beautiful color, and yours is more productive than mine. Another difference is in the tips of the peppers. Most of mine grow almost to a sharp point, instead of rounded. In fact a few I have pulled actually has a mildly sharp point, like a cactus.
 
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Hello fellow Japan member! What I've learned when dealing with varieties in Japan, is just to keep the romanized version of the name. For all we know, it may have been grown here long enough that we can consider it a landrace.

Btw, what area of Japan are you in? I know a few of us are scattered around the kanto area.
 
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Omuro said:
Thanks for the welcome messages and for the replies. Unfortunately, I can't find any pictures of its flower.
 
I looked up "Golden Cayenne" and they certainly look similar. According to seedaholic, Golden Cayenne "was first documented in 1493 and brought from Chile to Portugal." Japan traded exclusively with Portugal in the late 1500s. So that might be it! 
Click to expand...
 
 
Very interesting. I wonder if it has changed slightly from when it was traded or if the Western golden cayenne has changed slightly over time. I was wondering if the flower was white or if it had markings on it. I was thinking we could rule out capsicum baccatum, which has peppers that look similar. It might be interesting to grow a golden cayenne from the West side by side the ougon pepper to see if there is a difference or what the difference is. It might be easier to tell a difference between the flavors as well.
 
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AaronTT said:
Welcome from Florida, US
I was thinking the same, but its growth habit looks different. The Golden Cayenne I have seem to snake along the ground, while this one seems to grow more vertically. Of course maybe only mine do this, while others might grow more upright. I have not grown it out enough times to observe it variations, to know for sure. What does the plant look like overall? Can you give us a shot of the entire plant? Maybe next time a flower pops up you can photograph it... Beautiful color, and yours is more productive than mine. Another difference is in the tips of the peppers. Most of mine grow almost to a sharp point, instead of rounded. In fact a few I have pulled actually has a mildly sharp point, like a cactus.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the reply, AaronTT.
 
I haven't actually grown an Ougon yet, but I think I will try it out this summer. When trying to find a picture of the Ougon flower, I came across a website that claims that the Ougon is actually two different peppers and that Golden Cayenne is an entirely different pepper. Here is a picture of the two "Ougon" peppers:
 
[ http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/cef72620/GALLERY/show_image.html?id=4117175&no=0 ]  [Sorry, couldn't post image directly for some reason.]
 
In it, #1 is claimed to be an Ougon imported from China (originally from India) in around the year 806. #2 is supposed to have come from Vietnam and is a yellow version of a Bird's Eye Chili. 
 
The same blogger has a picture of a Golden Cayenne he grew:
 
{ http://blogs.c.yimg.jp/res/blog-26-64/cef72620/folder/264802/62/12049862/img_0?1408812906] [Sorry, couldn't post image directly for some reason.]
 
This looks a lot bushier than the pictures I posed at the top. 
filmost said:
Hello fellow Japan member! What I've learned when dealing with varieties in Japan, is just to keep the romanized version of the name. For all we know, it may have been grown here long enough that we can consider it a landrace. Btw, what area of Japan are you in? I know a few of us are scattered around the kanto area.
Click to expand...
 
Hi, filmost! I've seen some of your posts. I live in Kansai and don't have enough space to grow as many peppers as I'd like to, but know a couple of guys who like to grow jolokias and they hook me up. Am thinking of growing scorpions and maybe Ougon this summer. I'm more interested in making sauces than powders though. Anyway, thanks for replying! 
Dulac said:
 
 
Very interesting. I wonder if it has changed slightly from when it was traded or if the Western golden cayenne has changed slightly over time. I was wondering if the flower was white or if it had markings on it. I was thinking we could rule out capsicum baccatum, which has peppers that look similar. It might be interesting to grow a golden cayenne from the West side by side the ougon pepper to see if there is a difference or what the difference is. It might be easier to tell a difference between the flavors as well.
Click to expand...
 
Hi Dulac,
 
Thanks for replying. I did spend some time trying to find a picture of an Ougon flower, but the only ones I found were for Takanotsume, which is the most widely used pepper here. But this might be a nice experiment though. I think I might try growing an Ougon this summer. 
 
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Hey so I asked one of the big commercial growers in Japan---the guy that runs www.chilli.jp and www.rakuten.co.jp/cayenne (great guy btw)---and he said the Ougon and Golden Cayenne are two distinct peppers. The differences are in pod size, color (Golden Cayenne is more vivid, Ougon is pale), and smell (Ougon seems wonderful). Here's the full text of his message to me for reference.
 
-----
お問い合わせいただきました２品種ですが、限りなく近い近縁品種ですが、実のサイズと色合いが違います。 ゴールデンカイエンのほうが色はより鮮やかで、黄金は淡い色合いです。 また、香りも黄金は素晴らしいです。
-----
 
Hope that helps man. I think it would definitely be worth growing both out if you can, even as indoor bonchi.
 
BTW, I spent 4 months in Kansai way back when. Did an exchange program at Kansai Gaidai.
 
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filmost said:
Hey so I asked one of the big commercial growers in Japan---the guy that runs www.chilli.jp and www.rakuten.co.jp/cayenne (great guy btw)---and he said the Ougon and Golden Cayenne are two distinct peppers. The differences are in pod size, color (Golden Cayenne is more vivid, Ougon is pale), and smell (Ougon seems wonderful). Here's the full text of his message to me for reference.
 
-----
お問い合わせいただきました２品種ですが、限りなく近い近縁品種ですが、実のサイズと色合いが違います。 ゴールデンカイエンのほうが色はより鮮やかで、黄金は淡い色合いです。 また、香りも黄金は素晴らしいです。
-----
 
Hope that helps man. I think it would definitely be worth growing both out if you can, even as indoor bonchi.
 
BTW, I spent 4 months in Kansai way back when. Did an exchange program at Kansai Gaidai.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for looking into it! I've seen that site before and one of the pictures in my original post was from a page where he was selling Ougon seedlings (not any more). He sells Ougon powder labeled as "Gold Pepper." 
 
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/cayenne/010-209/
 
And I tried and tried to find more information on "Gold Pepper," but couldn't, so came to this website to ask. 
 
I taught at Kansai Gaidai part-time for a few years, back in the day. Their new campus is really nice. I live in Kyoto, in the city. Not the best place to grow peppers...
 
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Omuro said:
Thanks for the welcome messages and for the replies. Unfortunately, I can't find any pictures of its flower.
 
I looked up "Golden Cayenne" and they certainly look similar. According to seedaholic, Golden Cayenne "was first documented in 1493 and brought from Chile to Portugal." Japan traded exclusively with Portugal in the late 1500s. So that might be it! 
Click to expand...
Thats my guess as well I bought some at market.....awesome germination rate.......O sorry Welcome (No manners again)
 
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Nice to encounter some other growers in Japan!
I grew this variety a few years back, when I was still living in Tokyo. They are definitely not a cayenne, the fruits are smaller and have thinner walls, and their pedicel is straighter. And they have a nice heat level and slightly fruity aroma. They are also different to the more standard "hot" Japanese chiles like takanotsume or yatsufusa, whose fruits stand upright like Thai chiles. Sorry I don't have any other photos, this was way before I got an iPhone, but as far as I recall the flowers looked like standard white annuum flowers.

ougon.jpg
 
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