Habanero

Thehabanero(/ˌ(h)ɑːbəˈnɛəroʊ/;Spanish:[aβaˈneɾo]) is apungentcultivar ofCapsicum chinensechili pepper. Unripe habaneros are green, and they color as they mature. The most common color variants are orange and red, but the fruit may also be white, brown, yellow, green, or purple.Typically, a ripe habanero is2–6 centimetres (3⁄4–2+1⁄4inches) long. Habanero chilis are very hot, rated 100,000–350,000 on theScoville scale. The habanero heat, flavor, and floral aroma make it a common ingredient inhot saucesand other spicy foods.
The habanero is named after the Cuban city ofLa Habana, known in English asHavana, because it used to feature heavily in trading there. (Despite the name, habaneros and other spicy-hot ingredients are rarely used in traditional Cuban cooking.)In English, it is sometimes incorrectly spelledhabañeroand pronounced/ˌ(h)ɑːbəˈnjɛəroʊ/, thetildebeing added as ahyperforeignismpatterned afterjalapeño.
The habanero chili comes from theAmazon, from which it was spread, reachingMexico.Today, the largest producer of the habanero pepper is theYucatán Peninsula, in Mexico.Habaneros are an integral part of Yucatecan food, accompanying most dishes, either in natural form or purée or salsa.Other modern producers includeBelize,Panama,Costa Rica,Colombia,Ecuador, and parts of the United States, includingTexas,Idaho, andCalifornia.
The habanero chili was disseminated by Spanish colonists to other areas of the world, to the point that 18th-centurytaxonomistsmistookChinafor its place of origin and called itCapsicum chinense("the Chinese pepper").
TheScotch bonnetis often compared to the habanero, since they are two varieties of the same species, but they have differentpod types.Both the Scotch bonnet and the habanero have thin, waxy flesh. They have a similar heat level and flavor. Both varieties average around the same level of pungency, but the actual degree varies greatly from one fruit to another according to genetics, growing methods, climate, and plant stress.
In 1999, the habanero was listed byGuinness World Recordsas the world's hottest chili, but it has since been displaced by other peppers. The heat of the habanero does not immediately take effect, but sets in over a period of a few minutes and lasts up to an hour in the mouth. The heat can sometimes be felt in the esophagus some hours after consumption. TheTrinidad moruga scorpionhas since been identified as a nativeCapsicum chinensesubspecies even hotter than the habanero. Breeders constantly crossbreed subspecies to attempt to createcultivarsthat will break the record on theScoville scale. One example is theCarolina Reaper, supposedly a cross between abhut jolokiapepper with a particularly pungent red habanero.
Habaneros thrive in hot weather. Like all peppers, the habanero does well in an area with good morning sun and in soil with apHlevel around 5 to 6 (slightly acidic). Habaneros which are watered daily produce more vegetative growth but the same number of fruit, with lower concentrations ofcapsaicin, as compared to plants which are watered only when dry (every seven days).Overly moist soil and roots will produce bitter-tasting peppers. Daily watering during flowering and early setting of fruit helps prevent flower and immature fruit from dropping, but flower dropping rates often reach 90% even in ideal conditions.
The habanero is aperennialflowering plant, meaning that with proper care and growing conditions, it can produce flowers (and thus fruit) for many years. Habanero bushes are good candidates for acontainer garden. In temperate climates, though, it is treated as anannual, dying each winter and being replaced the next spring. In tropical and subtropical regions, the habanero, like other chiles, will produce year round. As long as conditions are favorable, the plant will set fruit continuously.
Several growers have attempted toselectively breedhabanero plants to produce hotter, heavier, and larger peppers. Most habaneros rate between 200,000 and 300,000 on theScoville scale. In 2004, researchers in Texas created a mild version of the habanero, but retained the traditional aroma and flavor. The milder version was obtained by crossing theYucatánhabanero pepper with a heatless habanero fromBoliviaover several generations.BreederMichael Mazourekused a mutation discovered by theChile Pepper Instituteto create a heatless version labeled the 'Habanada' bred in 2007 and released in 2014.
Black habanero is an alternative name often used to describe the dark brown variety of habanero chilis, which are slightly smaller and more spherical. Some seeds have been found which are thought to be over 7,000 years old. The black habanero has an exotic and unusual taste, and is hotter than a regular habanero with a rating between 425,000 and 577,000 Scoville units.Small slivers used in cooking can have a dramatic effect on the overall dish. Black habaneros take considerably longer to grow than other habanero chili varieties.
Caribbean Red, a cultivar within the habanero family, has a citrusy and slightly smoky flavor, with a Scoville rating ranging from 300,000 to 445,000 Scoville units.