Rocotillo and Trinidad Perfume

[shelleybean]

Okay, I just added these to my grow list last second. What can you tell me about them? I'm thinking the Rocotillo will be pretty versatile in the kitchen and thought the Trinidad Perfume would be good in fruity salsas with grilled or blackened fish or maybe grilled chicken. Thanks in advance for any thoughts you may have.

[cdntomato]

Both nice. Think intense C. chinense flavour without the heat. In the Caribbean, the chinense peppers with heat (habs and scotch bonnets) are used quite differently than the peppers from the same species without heat. Also, many of the no-heats originate in Venezuela. Cookbooks and links to traditional cuisines from these areas should be helpful. Will try to post some when I have more time later today.

Jennifer, who grew 14 different seasoning peppers (that's what these no-heats are commonly called) last season

[shelleybean]

That's great! Thanks, Jennifer!

[shelleybean]

Now I'm thinking bean and rice dishes and maybe egg dishes. The more I think about it, the better it gets.

In an old bag I had stashed, I found a partial packet of Aji Dulce #2 seeds so I think I'm going to try to get some of those to germinate, as well.

[cdntomato]

I sent a seed stash to Grub and Mantis. Nudge them for feedback on their grow-outs.

Jennifer, out to convert and not shy about it

[feldon30]

Suze was just telling me about Trinidad Perfume. I might have to try it.

[cdntomato]

As promised, more info and some recipes:

NB: use of descriptor 'sweet' is not = to what we know as sweet peppers (capsicums to Aussies), but rather non-hot chiles

Ají dulce
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ají dulce (from South American Spanish ají, "chilli" + Spanish dulce, "sweet") is any of a variety of sweet perennial peppers found in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is most widely known in Venezuela where it refers to a specific native variety of Capsicum chinense related to the habanero, but with a much milder, smoky flavour.

In Puerto Rico, the “ají dulce” is grown commercially and is an important ingredient for sauces, such as sofrito or “mojito isleño” (a fish or meat sauce).


http://www.worldcrops.org/crops/Aji-dulce.cfm

http://www.caymannetnews.com/Archive...iedCayman.html

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache...nk&cd=28&gl=ca

http://web.archive.org/web/200604270...p?articleID=67

Hope this helps,
Jennifer

[shelleybean]

Awesome! Thanks, Jennifer! I sowed my seeds last night. Now I'll just sit back and wait.

[Earl]

I've grown these before, but never got around to using them in many recipes. But now I'm getting into making pepper sauces [medium hot types] and will grow them again this year. They have dynamite flavor but no heat.

Aji Dulce #1
Trinidad Perfume
Datil Sweet

These fruit are from one plant each. I don't remember how many I got before this last of the season picture. Smaller peppers: Bottom right is the Datil Sweet, bottom left is Trinidad Perfume, top right is Aji Dulce #1

[Grub]

Thanks for this thread!

Just what I wanted to read.

Thankyou Jen.

All the ripe ones thus far are hotties; the seasoning ones are about 15cm high and, with emerging flowers, I think I will get some this year

My first year for these...

[Suze]

I love Trinidad Perfume. And really, I am a big fan of seasoning peppers in general.

Just a lovely addition to a number of dishes, whether dried/powered, dehydrated, or even frozen.

[shelleybean]

I'm glad to hear the good things about Trinidad Perfume. I read something yesterday where one person said it tasted musty and another person said it tastes like cat pee (I wonder how they know what that tastes like ) I was beginning to get worried. These Aji Dulce seeds are a few years old but I'm hoping at least one will germinate. The two with almost no heat seem like they'd be very versatile for cooking. I have a couple of other varieties that have a little more heat but not too bad. Thanks for all your comments and the picture, Earl!

[TheDens]

I grew Aji Dulce last year and was disappointed. My plants weren't very productive and the fruit was completely tasteless; I don't just mean heat, but flavor also, it was just utterly absent. Growing conditions weren't great, though, so I wouldn't take that as gospel. I'm probably going to try it again sometime and see if I can get better results.

[svalli]

I love all these seasoning peppers, in spite the fact that when I very first time cut a Trinidad Perfume, I thought that it smelled a bit like cat pee. I have never tasted our cat's urine, so I do not know if the taste is same :wink: .
Later I did not notice the same smell. I think that the taste of the ripe seasoning peppers is somehow addictive. I ate many of them directly in the garden, what I can not do with the hotter peppers.

I made hot pepper jelly out of seasoning peppers and couple of Chocolade Habaneros (added those for extra kick) and the the jelly is heavenly. I also dehydrated the seasoning peppers and now I use the flakes as seasoning on the table. It makes a bland mac-and-cheese to a gourmee dish.

Does anyone know a place where I could by the peppers dried and/or powdered? I will run out of the flakes before I can have new ones from my own garden.

[shelleybean]

I hope mine don't smell or taste like pee.

I just ordered a dehydrator and these peppers are part of the reason. I plan to keep the flakes for the winter, too. Unfortunately, I don't know where to get the dried peppers, or even where they sell them fresh.