Cayenne hot peppers

Cayenne seeds, 10 times the Jalapeño's spiciness

Alchimia presents Cayena hot peppers by Rocalba. In Spain, Cayenne is the name given to any hot, red, elongated, dried chilli pepper, but it is really a variety in its own right.

This pepper owes its name to Cayenne, a city in French Guyana, from where it originates. The Incas cultivated it for the first time 7000 years ago, and called it Axi.

Cayenne is a fruit with a very appetising shape, elongated and round fruits that turn from a light green to an intense blood red when ripe. It is certainly the typical shape for most people who imagine a hot pepper. This beautiful and appetising fruit shape can be misleading and give the impression that they are harmless. Nothing could be further from the truth, as they house a potent spiciness of between 30,000 and 50,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units). Certainly on a par with Tabasco, and about 10 times the spiciness of the Jalapeño Hot Pepper.

Cayenne hot chilli, ideal for all kinds of dishes

One of the reasons for its widespread use is the different formats in which it is used, the most common is in powder form. The peppers are tied up in a string and left to dry hanging in a dark, cool and dry place. Once dried, they are ground to the desired texture. Cayenne can thus be added to a wide range of dishes as a seasoning. Although it is usually used in savoury dishes, it is surprising to try it as a seasoning in sweet dishes such as cakes and tarts.

When growing Cayenne, it is important to control the temperature because of its susceptibility to frost and cold. It is advisable to plant it two weeks after the tomato seeds. As a tropical plant, it requires a lot of watering. Hot peppers cultivation is not very different from that of any other vegetable such as tomatoes or cannabis ;).