Below is a list of all known varieties for Chili Pepper. Click on a variety name to view more detailed nutrient and sourcing information.
| Variety Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Aji Bravo | A medium-hot, elongated chile common in the Andean region. It has a thick flesh and a slightly grassy, vegetal flavor, often used fresh for grilling and roasting. |
| Ají Cacho de Cabra (Merkén Powder) | The smoked, dried, and ground Cacho de Cabra pepper, mixed with toasted coriander and salt. This Chilean spice blend provides an essential smoky, mild-to-medium heat and savory flavor. |
| Ají Cito (C. baccatum) | A small, bright yellow cultivar of the Aji Cito from Peru. It is similar to the Ají Limo but has a softer, sweeter flavor and a slightly milder heat, prized for its strong citrus aroma. |
| Aji Dulce | A highly aromatic, non-pungent (sweet) pepper from Venezuela and the Caribbean. It has the full, floral, and fruity flavor of a Habañero but without the heat, used extensively in regional stews. |
| Aji Norteño | An heirloom, long, thin, medium-hot chile from Northern Peru. It has a distinctive, complex, tangy-fruity flavor, often sun-dried and ground for regional spice blends. |
| Anaheim Pepper (Ripe Red) | The fully mature, red version of the Anaheim pepper, slightly sweeter and more earthy than the green, often dried to make chili powder. |
| Biquinho Pepper (Chupetinha) | A small, tear-drop-shaped pepper from Brazil. It has almost no heat, a crunchy texture, and a highly addictive, strong tropical-fruity flavor, often pickled and used as a condiment. |
| Bird's Eye Chili | A small, thin, highly pungent chili pepper with high heat, common across Southeast Asian cuisines. |
| Bishop’s Crown Pepper | A unique, low-heat ornamental pepper (*C. baccatum*) named for its three-sided, bell-like shape. It has a sweet, apple-like flavor and is used for pickling and garnishing. |
| Carolina Reaper | A man-made hybrid pepper that holds the Guinness World Record for the hottest chili pepper. |
| Chile Cascabel | A small, round, dried chile (*cascabel* means "rattle" because the seeds rattle inside). It has a nutty, earthy, woodsy flavor with low to medium heat, used in sauces and salsas for its deep color. |
| Chile Catarina (Catarino) | A very small, round, dried chile from Mexico. It has a smoky, earthy flavor with medium heat and is primarily used in its ground form in spice mixes. |
| Chile Chilhuacle Negro | A rare, highly-prized, very dark brown, dried chile from Oaxaca. It is essential for Mole Negro, providing a complex flavor with notes of tobacco and dried fruit, with very low heat. |
| Chile De Cera (Wax Pepper) | A medium-hot, waxy-skinned chile (C. annuum), often yellow or orange, used fresh for pickling. It has thick walls and a slightly tangy flavor. |
| Chile De La Tierra (Earth Chile) | A generic term for local, heirloom, or native chiles. It denotes an uncultivated, wild, or regionally unique pepper with a strong, earthy flavor and often a high heat level. |
| Chile De Onza | A rare, elongated, medium-hot chile from Mexico, related to the Pasilla. It is usually used in its dried form, offering a slightly fruity, acidic flavor. |
| Chile De Ristra | Refers to any dried red chile (typically New Mexico or Anaheim type) that is tied together on a string (*ristra*) for drying and storage. These chiles are mild and have a sun-dried, earthy-sweet flavor. |
| Chile Güero | A general term used in Mexico for any small, pale, or yellow-colored chile that is medium-hot, such as the Carricillo or Caloro. They are known for a clean, sharp heat and are often pickled. |
| Chile Mirasol (Dried) | A specific dried red chile that is very common and has a distinct fruity, slightly grassy flavor. It is often used interchangeably with Guajillo but is slightly narrower and less shiny. |
| Chile Mora | A small, black-brown chile that is essentially a smaller, milder version of the Chipotle. It is dried and lightly smoked, giving it a smoky, dark fruit flavor and a low-medium heat. |
| Chile Mulato | A key component of Mole Poblano. This is a dried *C. annuum* pepper that is closely related to the Ancho, but is darker (almost black) and has a more complex, **chocolatey, licorice, and smoky** flavor. |
| Chile Mulato (Ground) | The dried, dark-colored Mulato chile ground into a fine powder. It is essential for dark moles and rubs, imparting its unique flavor of chocolate, licorice, and anise. |
| Chile Negro | A regional name for the **Pasilla pepper** (ID 4492), referring to its dark, almost black color when dried. Used to emphasize the pepper's deep, smoky, raisin-like flavor in recipes. |
| Chile Puya | A medium-sized, dried red chile closely related to the Guajillo, but **significantly hotter**. It has a bright, fresh flavor with a powerful heat kick, often used in sauces that need a quick, sharp burn. |
| Chile Seco del Norte | A generic term for dried chiles from Northern Mexico, often referring to a milder, Ancho-like pepper with a sweet, fruity flavor, used extensively in regional meat rubs and stews. |
| Chile Tabaqueira (Tabaqueiro) | A tiny, extremely pungent wild chile from Brazil, closely related to the Malagueta. It is used to infuse vinegars and oils for its concentrated, fierce heat and slightly bitter flavor. |
| Chile Tusta | A specific, rare heirloom chile from Oaxaca, Mexico, known for its small size and rich, smoky, and slightly acidic flavor. It is primarily used dried and ground. |
| Chili Flakes (Korean Gochugaru) | A specific type of coarsely ground, sun-dried red chili pepper (usually *C. annuum*) used in Korean cuisine. It has a smoky, sweet, and mild-to-moderate heat, essential for making kimchi. |
| Chili Oil (Infused) | A condiment made by slowly heating dried chili flakes (like Bird's Eye or Sichuan) in an oil base, resulting in a rich, deeply flavored oil with a moderate, infused heat and sometimes containing crispy chili sediment. |
| Chili Oil (Lao Gan Ma Style) | A highly specialized, intensely flavored chili oil originating from China. It contains crunchy chili flakes, Sichuan peppercorns, roasted peanuts, and fermented soybeans, used as a powerful condiment. |
| Chili Paste (General) | A non-specific thick sauce or paste made from ground fresh or dried chili peppers, often mixed with salt and vinegar. Used as a cooking ingredient or condiment to provide intense heat and a fresh pepper flavor. |
| Crushed Red Pepper Flakes | A general culinary term for dried, coarsely ground hot chili peppers (often Cayenne or other C. annuum types). Used as a ubiquitous seasoning to add heat and visual texture. |
| Dried Chile de Árbol | A small, slender Mexican chili used exclusively in its dried form. It has a bright, scorching heat and a slightly nutty flavor. Used to make thin, hot salsas, especially the red table sauce. |
| Dried Chili Pods (Assorted) | A mix of various whole, dried chili pods (e.g., Ancho, Pasilla, Guajillo, Arbol) used to create complex chili bases, broths, and sauces, providing varied heat, fruitiness, and smokiness. |
| Facing Heaven Pepper (Tien Tsin) | The dried form of a thin, highly pungent chili from China. It has an extreme, concentrated heat and a floral aroma, used whole in oil infusions and Szechuan cooking. |
| Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) | One of the world's hottest natural chili peppers, known for its searing heat and slow-building burn. |
| Goat Pepper | A very hot, wrinkly *C. chinense* pepper grown in the Caribbean, similar to the Scotch Bonnet but with a slightly rougher skin and an intensely earthy aroma. Used in local hot sauces. |
| Goat's Weed Pepper (*C. annuum*) | A decorative, unique variety whose fruits grow upright and turn from green/black to red. It has a decent heat level and a standard, clean pepper flavor, popular among home growers. |
| Habanero (Chocolate) | A rare, dark brown variety of Habanero with an intense, smoky flavor and extreme heat. |
| Hatch Green Chili | A specific cultivar group of chilies grown in the Hatch Valley, New Mexico, known for their smoky flavor and varying heat levels. |
| Inca Red Drop | A teardrop-shaped, medium-hot pepper (*C. baccatum*) from Peru. It has a sweet, bright, tropical fruit flavor, primarily used in raw sauces, ceviche, and as a pickled condiment. |
| Kencur (Sand Ginger) | A related rhizome (*Kaempferia galanga*) that has a very strong, aromatic, and camphor-like flavor. Used in Javanese and Balinese cuisine, often in fresh pastes or powdered form. |
| NuMex Heritage Big Jim | A very large, long, mild-flavored cultivar developed in New Mexico. It is specifically bred for low heat and high yield, making it ideal for stuffing (chiles rellenos) and mass processing. |
| Pasilla De Campo | A very rare, small, dried wild pepper from Zacatecas, Mexico. It has a deep, complex, smoky, and earthy flavor, highly prized in regional stews. |
| Pasilla Pepper (Chilaca) | The fresh, long, dark green, and mild form of the Pasilla pepper, used widely in Mexican cooking. |
| Peruvian Manzano | A specific *C. pubescens* cultivar from Peru (Rocoto). It is distinguished by its round, thick, apple-like appearance and juicy flesh, with black seeds and intense heat, ideal for stuffing. |
| Peter Pepper | A niche, novelty *C. annuum* variety, primarily known for its unusual, phallic shape. It has a standard medium heat and flavor, rarely used commercially but famous in home growing. |
| Pimenta Bico | Another name for the **Biquinho Pepper** (*C. chinense*). It is an almost heatless pepper (low heat) with a strong, fruity, tropical flavor, used extensively for garnishing and pickling in Brazil. |
| Pimenta de Bico (Yellow) | A rare yellow variant of the Brazilian Biquinho pepper. It maintains the tear-drop shape and the distinctive fruity flavor without heat, but with a different color profile for specialty garnishes. |
| Piri Piri (African Bird's Eye) | A tiny, extremely hot chili used extensively in African and Portuguese cooking, often infused in oil. |
| Poblano Pepper (Ancho) | The dried form of the mild Poblano pepper; has a dark, chocolatey, fruity flavor and is used in Mexican moles. |
| Santa Fe Grande | A moderately hot, conical pepper (*C. annuum*) that ripens from yellow-green to orange-red. It is popular in the Southwestern U.S. for pickling and stuffing, offering thick walls and medium heat. |
| Scotch Bonnet Pepper | A very hot chili with a distinct squash-like shape and fruity flavor, a staple in Caribbean cooking. |
| Tepin (Wild-Grown) | A variation of the Chiltepin that emphasizes its status as the original wild pepper. It has an instant, sharp, fiery heat and is often used by grinding a single pod over a bowl of soup or chili. |
| Wild Tepin (C. chacoense) | A wild species of chili found in the Chaco region of South America. Its small, round, highly pungent fruit is used as a culinary seasoning, known for a fast, intense burn. |
| Zimbabwe Bird Pepper | A regional African variety of the Bird’s Eye chile (*C. frutescens*). It is very small, highly pungent, and used extensively in the southern African Piri Piri spice blends. |