The cubanelle, also known as the "Cuban pepper" (''ají cubanela''), is a varietal of mild

sweet pepper The bell pepper (also known as sweet pepper, paprika, pepper, capsicum or, in some parts of the US midwest, mango) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in diff ...

from the species ''

Capsicum annuum ''Capsicum annuum'' is a fruiting plant from the family Solanaceae (nightshades), within the genus Capsicum which is native to the northern regions of South America and to southwestern North America. The plant produces Berry, berries of many color ...

''. When unripe, it is a light, yellowish-green color, but will turn bright red if allowed to ripen. Compared to

bell peppers The bell pepper (also known as sweet pepper, paprika, pepper, capsicum or, in some parts of the US midwest, mango) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in diff ...

, it has thinner flesh, is more elongated, and has a slightly more "wrinkled" appearance. It is used extensively in criollo cooking and the cuisines of Cuba, the Dominican Republic and

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 ...

. In Puerto Rican recipes, ''ají cubanela'' is one of the primary ingredients of

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 ...

, a mild salsa- or ''

pico de gallo ''Pico de gallo'' (; ), also called ''salsa fresca'' ('fresh sauce'), ''salsa bandera'' ('flag sauce'), and ''salsa cruda'' ('raw sauce'), is a type of salsa commonly used in Mexican cuisine. It is traditionally made from chopped tomato, oni ...

''-like vegetable-herb blend that forms the basis of many savory dishes, usually made up of cubanelle and bell peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, olive oil and salt and pepper, with Sazón or other savory seasonings added. Most cubanelle pepper imports come from the

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 ...

, the main exporter of the cultivar.

References

Chili peppers Capsicum cultivars {{vegetable-stub