Congo pepper

Congo peppers don't come from Africa — congo is a Trinidadian slang word meaning "large and powerful." True to the name, these are the biggest, fleshiest Caribbean peppers I've ever seen. Their color ranges from green to yellow to bright red. They are about the size of apricots, but instead of being oval or round, they are wrinkled and curled into strange shapes. I pick a few of the prettiest specimens. One looks like a bright red boxing glove; another resembles a yellow shrunken head. Henry offers to take my picture with a handful of them, so I primp for the photo by taking off my Panama and wiping the sweat from my forehead with my hand.