Habaneros

Usually when you’re strolling through the produce aisle in your local grocery store you’ll see some bulbous neon-orange shapes near the peppers section. Well… these are habanero peppers. These peppers are some of the more popular peppers that you’ll find at a grocery store, for good reason. Habaneros are spicy but they also have a distinct floral aroma which makes them a great accompaniment to fish, chicken, sauces, etc. You may buy these at your grocery store but do you know their history?

Well this chili actually finds its origins in the Amazon, in-fact there have been archeological findings of habaneros in the Highlands of Peru dating back to 6500 B.C. Eventually it’s popularity spread and it developed a strong following in Mexico. Even given it’s Amazonian and Mexican background, “Habanero”, actually refers to, “La Habana”, or the Cuban city of Havana.

Today you can find the majority of the world’s habanero production coming from Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, with other production centers coming from Latin America and certain parts of the U.S (Texas, Idaho, and California).

If you give this pepper a try and enjoy it make sure to also try out the Scotch Bonnet pepper. The Scotch Bonnet is closely related to the habanero with a similar flavor and heat profile.

Fun-fact: Up until 1999 the Habanero was considered the world’s hottest pepper on the Scoville scale. It has since been displaced by others like the Scorpion and Ghost peppers.