Aji panca
Capsicum chinense · Chilli pepper
Top 10 pairings
The aji panca is Peru's dark, mild backbone chilli — a deep burgundy-red to near-black pod, usually sold sun-dried and wrinkled, with a berry-and-raisin fruitiness, a smoky-earthy depth and almost no heat (roughly 500-1,500 Scoville units). Second only to the aji amarillo in the Peruvian pantry, it is prized for the colour, perfume and gentle warmth it lends rather than for fire.
Picking a good onedrag
UnderripeOverripe
Red ripePeakIt's sweetest and hottest now. Roast it, make chilli oil or sauce, or string it to dry.
ColourFully turned, bright even red
The pressFirm, springs straight back
Cap and stalkCap green and tight, stalk firming
Smell at the capWarm and fruity over the green
These cues are Chilli's, and hold across its varieties; where this one differs, its own page says so.
What you get from one
73%
Edible part
45 g · fresh pod, stem and seeds out
62 g
Weight each
each one
Keeping ittap a temperature
Below 7 °C the skin pits and the cap moulds: in two weeks at 5 °C, in days at 0 °C.
90-95%
Humidity
Loosely bagged
Airflow