Aji Amarillo
The birthplace of the five species of peppers are in lands to the South of the United States, and it is little surprise that varieties of peppers abound in Central and South America that rarely if ever make their ways to American kitchens. Even well supplied tiendas only offer the most common varieties and Latino growers tend to concentrate on two or three varieties in their gardens. My friend Maricel Presilla is a pepper savant who saves seed for dozens of varieties that she grows out cyclically in her patch in New Jersey. It was she who suggested that I seek out the Aji Amarillo (capsicum baccatum) from Peru if I wished to experience the fire and romance of South America’s chilis. It is a pillar of Peruvian cuisine, the sine qua non of ceviche and the heart of yellow sauce. I saw the Aji Amarillo for sale at the San Fe Farmer’s Market three years ago, bought it fresh and also as a dry pepper. Let it be said from the get go that the powdered form is potent—with Scovill rating up to 50K. The powder does not preserve the exotic, mango paw paw fruitiness of the fresh pepper meat. A salsa made of Aji Amarillo has a tropical fruit dulcetness underneath the flame. The fresh pods were five inches long, and the riper they are the more the yellow tends to orange. They are glossy, creased and sometimes bumpy. The walls of the pepper are meaty.
I was told by the vendor that some stores carry a Peruvian brand of jarred Aji Amarillo paste. Since I’ve never seen this on a store shelf, I consulted eBay and saw that there were indeed three offerings: Inca’s Food Aji Amarillo, La Fe Aji Amarillo paste, and Sibarita Aji Amarillo. I noted that the powder was available from artisan suppliers and spice companies.
If you live in the southern portions of North America you should have little trouble growing Aji Amarillo. If you like tropical flavor with heat—this is a logical choice. If pure tropicality sans heat is your wish, then maybe the Trinidadian Perfume Pepper is what you should be seeking.