''Ají dulce'', ''ají cachucha, quechucha'', ''ajicito'', or ''ají gustoso'' is any of a variety of sweet

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

peppers found in

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

and the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

. It is most widely known in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

, where it refers to a specific native variety of ''

Capsicum chinense ''Capsicum chinense'', commonly known as a "habanero-type pepper", is a species of chili pepper native to the Americas. ''C. chinense'' varieties are well known for their unique flavors and, in many cases, exceptional Pungency, heat. The Race to ...

'' that is related to the habanero but with a much milder, smoky flavor. In the English-speaking Caribbean, it is known as seasoning pepper and is essential to a variety of traditional dishes.

Name

In South American Spanish, ''ají'' means 'chili pepper' and ''dulce'' means 'sweet', so the name translates to 'sweet chili pepper'. ''Cachucha'' is the

Latin American Spanish The different dialects of the Spanish language spoken in the Americas are distinct from each other, as well as from those varieties spoken in the Iberian Peninsula and the Spanish Mediterranean islands—collectively known as Peninsular Spanish� ...

word for 'cap', so ''ají cachucha'' means 'cap chili pepper' and refers to its cap-like shape. ''Gustoso'' means 'tasty', so ''ají gustoso'' translates to 'tasty chili pepper'. ''Ajicito'' is the diminutive of ''ají'' and translates to 'little chili pepper'.

Use in cooking

Venezuelan cuisine Venezuelan cuisine is influenced by its EuropeanKohnstamm, Thomas; Kohn, Beth"Venezuela."Lonely Planet. Accessed October 2011. (Italy, Italian, Spain, Spanish, Portugal, Portuguese, and France, French), West African, and indigenous traditions. Ve ...

, ''ají dulce'' is a key ingredient in many traditional dishes, like the national dish ''

pabellón criollo Pabellón criollo () is a traditional Venezuelan dish that is considered the national dish. It mixes elements from the three different cultures that intermixed during Spanish colonial times: Native Americans, Spanish and Africans. The name is a s ...

''. The Venezuelan ''ají dulce'' is classified as non pungent, between 100 and 500 in the

Scoville scale The Scoville scale is a measurement of spiciness of chili peppers and other substances, recorded in Scoville heat units (SHU). It is based on the concentration of capsaicinoids, among which capsaicin is the predominant component. The scale ...

. In the

it is known as "aji gustoso". In

, it is known as ''ají'' Cachucha. In

where it is called ''ají dulce'' or ''ajicito'', it is grown commercially and used for sauces, such as '' recaíto,

sofrito (), (), (), (), () or () is a basic preparation in Mediterranean cuisine, Mediterranean, Latin American cuisine, Latin American, Spanish cuisine, Spanish, Italian cuisine, Italian and Portuguese cuisine, Portuguese cooking. It typically ...

'', and '' mojito isleño'', other fish or meat sauces, as well as stews, rice, and other local dishes.

References

* Weaver, William Woys. (2000) ''100 Vegetables and Where They Came From''. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books. {{DEFAULTSORT:Aji dulce Chili peppers Puerto_Rican_cuisine Culture of Venezuela Capsicum cultivars

Name

Use in cooking

See also

References