Charapita Chili | orange | whole

The Aji Charapita chili grows in the Peruvian Amazon region not far from the border with Brazil. The plant is not cultivated. Native farmers pick the small, fully ripe chili fruits in pure wild collection. Afterwards the chili is gently dried in the sun. Already in Inca times the Charapita chili, which botanically belongs to the genus ¨Capsicum chinense¨, was used to give food the right spiciness. The beautiful, yellowish to orange chili fruits, which are only 1cm in size and only 1cm in size at most, remind one a little of raisins. However, one should not be deceived by the cute shape, because with spiciness levels of up to 100,000 Scoville units, the Charapita has a spiciness that is a challenge for the untrained palate. But if you are used to a decent hotness, you will taste the incomparably fruity, exotic and floral nuances that make these chillies so special. The small berries can easily be mortared or crushed to give dishes the necessary spiciness. The ideal uses for these chillies are in salsas, sauces and stews, but also in stews in which the whole fruit can be cooked with them.