Pequin pepper

Pequin (or piquín) pepper () is a hot chili pepper cultivar commonly used as a spice. Pequin peppers are hot, often 5–8 times hotter than jalapeños on the Scoville scale (30,000 to 60,000 Units). Its flavor is described as citrusy and nutty. Taxonomically, it is classified within variety glabriusculum of the species Capsicum annuum. The pequin pepper originates in the Mexican state of Tabasco, where it is widely used to make salsa or as a complement to many dishes. It is also known as chile pequín / chile petín / chiltepe (in Guatemala and El Salvador), chile congo (in Nicaragua and northern region of Costa Rica), chile de monte / chile del monte / chile mosquito / mashito (by the Chontal/Maya natives in Tabasco), amash / timpinchile (in Chiapas), chilpaya (in Veracruz), maax'ik (in Yucatán) and chile kipín (in Huasteca). Pequin peppers are compact, growing typically 0.3–0.6 meters tall, with bright green, ovate leaves and small berries that rarely exceed 2 cm in length. Like most chilies, the berries start out green, ripening to brilliant red at maturity. The name pequin is thought to come from the Spanish pequeño, meaning small. Its fruit is oblong and is found in the wild from the American Southwest to the Andes. It is grown both wild and commercially harvested in Mexico. Common uses include pickling, salsas, sauces, soups, and vinegars. The Cholula brand hot sauce lists piquin peppers and chile de árbol peppers among its ingredients. Pequin peppers are highly valued in Mexico, often costing more than 10 times the price of other peppers, but their cultivation is limited due to low seed germination (15% average germination rate) and susceptibility to disease. Pequins prefer moderate shade levels (35% shade) and daily watering, though they are drought tolerant. In the wild, pequins grow in...