Aji amarillo pepper plants
The orange paste pepper of Peru. One variety, and it has a job.
By Debra Austin
Species: Capsicum baccatum
What aji amarillo is
Aji amarillo is a Capsicum baccatum with a long, thick-walled orange pod. In Peru the ripe pod is boiled and blended into a paste that goes into stew, sauces, and causas. The name means yellow chile. The ripe color is orange. Unripe pods are green and they are not the same ingredient.
We list one plant under this name. The rest of the baccatum shelf is on the aji page, including lemon drop, which is the thin wrinkled cousin and not a substitute in a recipe that calls for amarillo.
How hot aji amarillo is
Our Aji Amarillo is listed at 30,000 to 50,000 SHU. That is a firm medium. The paste tastes fruity first. The heat sits behind it and stays. It is not a superhot, and it is not a sweet pepper.
How the pod is used
Split it, simmer it until the flesh slumps, and blend it. That paste freezes. Fresh slices work in a salsa, but the classic use is the cooked puree. Dried aji amarillo is a different pantry item. A live plant is how you get the fresh pod, which is the one most recipes in the United States cannot find.
Growing aji amarillo
Give it room and a long season. A seven to ten gallon pot, a stake, and patience. Baccatums take a cool night better than a chinense, then they get large. This is not a windowsill plant once it is fruiting.
The Aji Amarillo we grow
Questions people ask
How hot is aji amarillo?
The plant we grow is listed at 30,000 to 50,000 SHU. Fruity, then hot, and it stays hot in a stew.
Is aji amarillo the same as a lemon drop?
No. Both are baccatums. Amarillo is thick-walled and orange and wants to be cooked into paste. Lemon drop is thin, yellow, and citrusy raw.
What does amarillo mean?
Yellow. The ripe pod is orange anyway. That is normal for this variety, not a sign you picked it early.
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