A More Manageable Hot Pepper Project

I love the taste of habanero peppers, but they are too dang hot for me, except in sparing amounts.

This year I’m growing a pepper with a similar taste - I taste hints of tropical fruit. But it’s much less hot. Don’t get me wrong - these little peppers are still pretty hot - but not nearly as hot as habaneros.

These peppers are called “Biquinho,” also known as “little beaks” because their shape resembles the beak of a bird.

Native to South America, especially Brazil, these peppers are a variety of the species Capsicum chinense. Other varieties in this species include some of the hottest in the world, including habanero. But uniquely, biquinho is milder than its cousins.

They are super prolific. I’m growing two plants, and every few weeks I could harvest hundreds of these little peppers. Most of them end up falling to the ground because I cannot pick them all.

They’re quite ornamental, too. The leaves are wider than other peppers and look kind of like morning glory leaves. The fruits start out pale yellowish-green before ripening to a bright red.

If you pick out the seeds and pith, the red flesh is almost sweet. Otherwise, I’d say they’re about as hot as a jalapeño. I’ve been making them into pickled peppers, which I believe is traditional for this variety in Brazil. I make a brine of half white vinegar and half water, some salt, sugar, peppercorns, garlic and oregano. This seems to tame them down a bit. It makes for a great condiment to go with grilled meat, seafood, or to top a salad.

I’ve never grown this variety before, but I like it so much I think I’ll keep it in the summer garden rotation.

Are you growing any unusual pepper varieties this summer? I’d love to see them and hear your thoughts. Email me at andy@fayettecountyrecord.com.