In what is probably an extremely painful treatment, the ulcerous patients are fed fresh
rocoto chiles (Capsicum pubescens), one of the hottest varieties in the world.
Scotch Bonnet Peppers (Capsicum chinense) are quite small but extremely hot similar to the habanero / habañero and close relative
of rocoto / rocotillo chilli peppers.
Ideal variety
for rocoto lovers who like to have it hot!
My young
Rocoto seeds germinate very easily and quickly, so I don't think it's a seed coat problem.
Agro Topará cultivates Andina's essential Ají peppers, including Ají Amarillo, Ají Panca, Ají Mirasol as well
Rocoto peppers and Maiz Morado, or Peruvian purple corn.
Q: Dear Dave, Where can I get 1/2 bushel of
fresh Rocoto (manzano) peppers?
Our chilehead friend from Finland, Jukka Kilpinnen, has mastered the technique of bonsai chile plants, as evidenced by this beautiful
rocoto plant in a classic bonsai pot.
Recommended for outdoor growing
as rocotos tend to like colder nights, the days can however still be very warm.
The species of Capsicums that includes the Mexican manzanos and the
Peruvian rocotos.
Asked CT to do the difficult bit decapitating and deseeding 8
rocoto chillies without breaking them — no mean feat.
This seed kit is all about the great
Rocotos from Andean mountains.
Rocoto leaves, which are quite pubescent, burn easily in the full New Mexico sun, so we had to either shade them or grow them in a location that received only morning sun.
CT is trying to breed a species of chilli
called rocoto (Capsicum pubescens), so it can not only grow outdoors in the UK but will also ripen reliably.
My first thought was to stuff them with a mixture of chocolate and ricotta as I liked the idea of chocolate
ricotta rocotos; thinking it through, I decided cream cheese would be a better option.
Dave told me that he'd
tried rocoto juice in plain tomato juice and it was great, so I gave it a try.
I couldn't find aji amarillo or aji mirasol paste but
used rocoto hot pepper paste.
Has quite a lot heat which is still quite pleasant with cooking,
like Rocotos usually are.
A pretty,
orange rocoto variety from Guatemala that bears a lot of great tasting juicy pods.
One online source for bottled,
preserved rocotos with their seeds carries the warning «Muy picante.
Peruvians especially
prize rocotos because the chiles» tropical fruit overtones combine with a heat that works only on the taste buds and not on the digestive system.
The Peruvians typically accompany
stuffed rocotos with beer, although a red wine is also appropriate.
A selection of Causa dishes, mashed potato dumplings topped with seafood, are served four different ways to include the Nikei (
rocoto causa with tuna tartare); Cangrejo (beet causa with crab); Escabeche (potato with crispy snapper) and Olivo (potato with octopus tartare).
Beyond ají amarillo, ají panca and
rocoto lies a universe of Peruvian chile peppers to be savored.
This year I had one
Rocoto Canario plant (C. pubescens) in my greenhouse together with several C. annuum varieties.
When drying the
fleshier rocoto and habanero pods, I put a couple of dozen cuts through the pod epidermis with a scalpel, taking care not to cut through the pod wall.
The ultimate dish using this ají is
rocotos rellenos, or stuffed chiles, a specialty of Arequipa in the Andes of southern Peru.
Inflamed tonsils and swollen throat are treated by drinking the extremely pungent juice of locoto or
rocoto chiles in Bolivia.
That would probably result in a severe case
of rocoto - proctitis.
While
fresh rocotos are rarely available in commercial markets in the U.S., the plant can be cultivated and will bear fruit in many parts of North America.
Varieties such
as Rocoto and Manzano normally over winter very well with little more damage than a little leaf drop.
Immerse yourself in traditional cuisine featuring ingredients like alpaca, quinoa and
rocoto peppers.
As Doris Platt Rodriguez, the Peruvian owner of the restaurant Andina in Portland, Oregon says, «a sauce made
with rocoto is the hot sauce por excelencia.
Most varieties do very well, Danise told me, except for the pubescens species (
rocotos) and she mentioned that «It's a little too hot and dry for many of the bell varieties.»
The rocoto generated a gentle heat, which allowed the flavour of the chilli to come through.
Hope springs eternal but so does the heat of
a rocoto.
I do think juicing works well with the smaller, fleshy, super hot chiles such as habaneros and
rocotos.
Chiles rellenos literally means «stuffed chiles,» and in Mexico many different chiles are used, including poblanos, jalapeños,
rocotos, and even fresh pasillas.