Pequin pepper

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Name Variations

 * chile pequin
 * pequin chile
 * piquin pepper

About Pequin pepper
Wikipedia Article About Pequin pepper on Wikipedia

Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum (Bird Pepper).

Also known as Bird Pepper. Pequin has a compact habit growing typically 0.3 - 0.6 meters tall, with bright green, ovate leaves and small fruits that rarely exceed 2 cm in length. Like most chiles, fruits start out green, ripening to brilliant red at maturity. Pequin peppers are very hot, often 7-8 times hotter than jalapeños on the Scoville scale (30000-60000 units). Flavor is described as citrusy, smoky, and nutty.

Other common names (and possible misnomers) of this plant are pinhead pepper, chile petin, chile pequin, piquin, chiltepin and chile mosquito.

Common uses include pickling, salsas and sauces, soups, and vinegars. The popular Cholula brand hot sauce lists Pequin peppers and red peppers among its ingredients.

These oval-shape, tiny (about ½-inch-long) dried chilies are a beautiful red-orange color. Their flavor is slightly sweet and smoky and their heat quotient fiery. The pequin is also called chile pequeno. Its wild form is known as tepin or chiltepin.