Ají dulce

, but with a much milder, smoky flavour.

In Venezuela, the “ají dulce” is an key ingredient in the preparation of the paramount dish of the Venezuelan cuisine, the Hallaca; and one of the cornerstones of the national cuisine.

In Puerto Rico, the “ají dulce” (“ajíce” for short) is grown commercially and is an important ingredient for sauces, such as sofrito or “mojito isleño” (a fish or meat sauce).

And, in Brazil, this pepper is called "Rubra" or "Biquinho" (Because the rounded-form cultivar, look the first photo), and it's used to make a sweet jam.

The history of this pepper is obscure, but since wild peppers are naturally hot this variety was probably developed over the years among farmers by simple selection of seed from milder and milder fruits. The fruit of aji dulce can be used green or ripe, and it can be seeded and frozen for use over the winter, a technique that also preserves its rich flavor much better than drying. It is a small, light green pepper that turns red (or yellow) if left long enough on the plant. It has the shape and size of a habanero pepper without the intense heat. Occasionally, there can be some ají dulce fruit that is pungent, probably due to out-crossing with other hot pepper plants. In the tropics, this plant can grow as a perennial, although most of the commercial production is with annual systems.

ee also

*Ají pepper, a spicier pepper.

References

* Weaver, William Woys. (2000) "100 Vegetables and Where They Came From." Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books. ISBN 1565122380