Habanero
A pungent chili pepper named after Havana, Cuba.
Last updated
Zinnmann · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Capsicum chinense cultivar known as the habanero is notable for its pungency.[1] Before ripening, habanero fruits are green; as they mature, they can turn orange, red, white, brown, yellow, green, or purple.[1] The length of a mature habanero fruit falls between 2 and 6 cm.[1]
Key facts and history
The habanero is named after Havana, the capital of Cuba, because it used to feature heavily in trading there.[2] The habanero chili comes from the Amazon, from which it was spread, reaching Mexico.[3] Habaneros thrive in hot weather and do well in soil with a pH level around 5 to 6.[4] Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula is currently the leading region for habanero pepper production.[3]
Spanish colonists spread the habanero globally; because of this, 18th-century taxonomists incorrectly believed it originated in China and named it Capsicum chinense.[5] Guinness World Records recognized the habanero as the hottest chili in 1999, though other peppers have since surpassed it.[6] The burning sensation from a habanero does not start instantly; it develops over several minutes and can persist in the mouth for up to an hour.[6]
What the cited sources add
The Habanada is the first truly heatless habanero, bursting with all the bright, tropical flavor of the fruit unmasked.[7] The chocolate habanero packs a serious punch of 425,000 to 577,000 Scoville heat units, with unique earthy and smoky undertones.[8] Chocolate habaneros tend to be about 2 inches in length and are an excellent chili for a Mexican mole sauce.[8] Unlike normal habaneros, chocolate varieties are not likely to be found in a local supermarket.[8]
References
- Wikipedia, "Habanero" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Chili – Evergreen Organics", EvergreenOrganicsBelize.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Habanero" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Cuba and Food – An Intense History", July 2020; "Habanero", Merriam-Webster (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Habanero" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "El chile habanero de Yucatán. Origen y dispersión prehispánica del chile habanero", Ciencia y Desarrollo, May 2006; "Profile of the Habanero Pepper", Whole Chile Pepper Magazine, July 1989; "Habanero", WorldCrops.org (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Habanero" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ruiz-Lau, "Water Deficit Affects the Accumulation of Capsaicinoids in Fruits of Capsicum chinense Jacq.", HortScience, 1 March 2011, p. 487–492 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Habanero" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bosland, "Capsicums: Innovative Uses of an Ancient Crop", Progress in New Crops, 1996, p. 479–487; Bosland, P.W., "The History of the Chile Pepper", The Scoville Scale For Peppers, 21 March 2013; Eshbaugh, "New Crops", Wiley, 1993, p. 132–139 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Habanero" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Zucchino, "From Pot To Hot: How a grower produced world's most fiery chile pepper", LA Times, November 27, 2014 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Page-Mann, "Habanada: The Unmasked Habanero", Cornell Small Farms Program, 6 April 2015. facts only, no text reused. smallfarms.cornell.edu
- "Chocolate Habanero: Smoky Sweet Heat", 18 January 2014. facts only, no text reused. pepperscale.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Habanero (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Peppers & Citrus Fruits
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Habanero (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced