Habanero
Habanero is a variety of the Capsicum chinense plant . It belongs to the genus Paprika (Capsicum) in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Habaneros are particularly known for their exceptionally high heat ; they are among the hottest chillies.
Origin and occurrence
Because the name “Habanero” means something like “coming from Havana”, it is often mistakenly assumed that the Habaneros come from Cuba. They used to be traded there. However, recent research suggests that the actual origin is the Yucatán Peninsula . After its discovery by the Europeans, the habanero was quickly spread across the globe, so that taxonomists of the 18th century wrongly assumed that its origin was China and that it was called Capsicum chinense .
Habaneros are mainly grown on the Yucatán Peninsula. There you will mainly find orange and yellow habaneros. The red variants mostly come from the Caribbean . Other producers include Belize , Panama and Costa Rica, as well as the states of Texas , Idaho and California in the USA.
description
General
The plant grows up to 120 cm high. The fruits are 2.5–6 cm long and about 2.5 cm wide. Typical are the broad leaves compared to other Capsicum species and the mostly greenish, small flowers. Depending on the habanero variety, the initially green fruits turn yellow, orange, red or brown.
Habanero varieties and breeds
The term habanero is often used synonymously for all varieties of the Capsicum chinense species . This is the reason why habaneros come in a variety of shapes, colors and also (fruit) sizes. As a result of the hobby cultivation of chilies, which has recently become stronger, more and more new breeds are being presented, which are supposed to stand out with special properties.
Here is a short compilation of important and unusual Habanero varieties:
- Red Savina claimed the title of the hottest chilli in the world for a long time before the Naga Jolokia varietyclaimed it. The recordhighwas 577,000 Scoville units for Red Savina and 1,001,304 for Naga Jolokia. The similarly hot orange variant Francisca comes from the same breeder .
- Habanero Chocolate or Brown Habanero ripen brown and often look deceptively chocolate-like.
- Some breeders have managed to establish varieties that offer the typical habanero taste without the extreme heat. These varieties include Habanero St. Lucia Island, NuMex Suave and Aji Dulce , among others .
- Fatalii : yellow, from Africa
- Datil : orange, small and pointed, from New Mexico
use
Habaneros are among the hottest chilies. The spiciness is caused by the substance capsaicin . Concentrations of up to 1500 ppm capsaicin can be found in the seeds and seed strips. An aqueous solution with a concentration of 0.5 ppm capsaicin is already perceived as hot by most people. The values for habaneros measured on the Scoville scale are between 100,000 and 577,000 units (see above). The taste is tropical and fruity. Habaneros are an integral part of the kitchen in Mexico, Brazil and Peru.
fruit
Fruits on the bush
blossom
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literature
- Harald Zoschke: The Chili Pepper Book 2.0. Cultivation, recipes, interesting facts. Suncoast Peppers, Kressbronn 2007, ISBN 978-3-937862-02-6
- Dave DeWitt & Nancy Gerlach: The Habanero Cookbook. Ten Speed Press, 1995, ISBN 0-89815-638-6
Web links
- Habanero profile 1 (orange) and 2 (red) at www.hot-pain.de (German)
- List of habanero varieties
Individual evidence
- ^ Paul W. Bosland: Capsicums: Innovative uses of an ancient crop . In: Jules Janick (Ed.): Progress in new crops. ASHS Press, Arlington 1996, ISBN 0-9615027-3-8 , pp. 479-487.
- ^ Paul Bosland: The History of the Chile Pepper. In: Beth Hanson & Janet Marinelli (eds.): Chile Peppers: Hot Tips and Tasty Picks for Gardeners and Gourmets. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1999, ISBN 1889538132 , pp. 7-16.
- ↑ W. Hardy Eshbaugh: History and exploitation of a serendipitous discovery new crop . In: Jules Janick and James E. Simon (Eds.): New crops. Wiley, New York 1993, ISBN 0-471-59374-5 , pp. 132-139.