Types of Chili Peppers
 There are many, many varieties of chili peppers, and they often have different names depending on region. But, we're compiling information on chili peppers for you to learn more.
Anatomy of a Chili Pepper - An illustration of the innards of a chili pepper.
Our Chili Pepper List
Sweet bell pepper: 0 Scovilles. The typical green bell pepper, about the size of a large fist. Very mild.
Pimento (or Pimiento) chili pepper: 100 - 500 Scovilles. Not just for stuffing olives. Pimiento is the Spanish word for "pepper".
Pepperoncini chili pepper: 100-500 Scovilles: Also known as Tuscan Peppers. These sweet, mild chili peppers are found in Italy and Greece.
Pasilla chili pepper: 250 - 3,999 Scovilles: Pasilla or "little raisin" properly refers to the dried chilaca pepper. The chilaca, when fresh, is also known as pasilla bajio, or as the chile negro or "Mexican negro" because, while it starts off dark green, it ends up dark brown. It typically grows from 8 to 10 inches long.
Paprika chili pepper: 250 - 1000 Scovilles. A large, cone-shaped chili pepper. It is dried and ground to make the more familiar powdered spice.
Santa Fe Grande chili pepper: 500 - 700 Scovilles. Also known as the yellow hot chile and the guero chile. Approximately 5 inches long and ripen from greenish-yellow, to orange-yellow to red.
Anaheim chili pepper: 500 - 1,000 Scovilles. Also known as the yellow hot chile and the guero chile. Approximately 5 incheslong and ripen from greenish-yellow, to orange-yellow to red.
Poblano chili pepper: 1,000 - 2,000 Scovilles. The poblano is an extremly popular chili peppers. 4 inches long, very dark green in color, ripening to dark red or brown.
Ancho chili pepper: 1,000 - 2,000 Scovilles. An Ancho pepper is dried form of the poblano chili pepper.
Hatch chili peppers: 1,000 - 2,500 Scovilles. Hatch chili peppers are grown and harvested in Hatch Valley, New Mexico. They are harvested in late July and early August and have a mild to medium flavor. The peppers are long and curved, much like the Anaheim chili pepper, and are perfect for stuffing.
Aji chili pepper: 1,177 - 75,000 Scovilles. Also known generally as the Peruvian hot pepper, aji is the common name primarily in South America and areas of the Caribbean for chili peppers.
Jalapeno Pepper: 2,500 - 8,000 Scovilles. The world's most popular chili pepper! Harvested when they are green or red if allowed to ripen, about 4-6 inches long. A chipotle is a smoked jalapeno chili pepper.
Chipotle Pepper: 2,500 - 8,000 Scovilles. A chipotle is a smoked jalapeno chili pepper. You'll notice the distinctive smoky flavor of certain foods like salsas that have been prepared with chipotle peppers. Very delicious.
Morita Chili Pepper: 2,500 - 8,000 Scovilles. A smoked red jalapeno, similar to a chipotle pepper.
Serrano pepper: 5,000 - 23,000 Scovilles. A smaller version of the jalapeno, similar in color, but smaller, about 1 to 2 inches long, 1/2 inch wide. Dark green to redish in color. Getting spicier!
Tabasco pepper: 30,000 - 50,000 Scovilles. Yep, this is the chili pepper used in Tabasco sauce. The fruit is tapered and under 2 inches long. The color is usually creamy yellow to red.
Cayenne pepper: 30,000 - 50,000 Scovilles. A thin chile pepper, green to red in color, about 2 to 3 inches long. The "cayenne pepper" spice you use is the dried, ground version of this pepper.
Tien Tsin Pepper: 50,000 - 75,000 Scovilles. The Tien Tsin is named after the province in China where its harvest originally took place.
Rocoto Pepper: 30,000 - 100,000 Scovilles. AKA the Manzano pepper. This chili pepper is normally found in South America. It is among the oldest of domesticated chili peppers, and was grown up to as much as 5000 years ago. It is probably related to undomesticated chili peppers that still grow in South America.
Thai chili pepper: 50,000 - 100,000 Scovilles. Despite the common belief, there is no single "Thai chili pepper" though most candidates for the title are small in size and high in heat or pungency. There are at least 79 separate varieties of chili that have appeared from three species in Thailand.
Scotch bonnet: 100,000 - 350,000 Scovilles. This pepper is a cultivar of the habanero and is among the hottest peppers anywhere. Its name derives from its resemblance to the Scottish Tam o’ Shanter hat, though it appears primarily in the Carribean and in Guyana and the Maldives.
Habanero chili pepper: 100,000 - 350,000 Scovilles. Related to the Scotch Bonnet. This one is the granddaddy of all the hot peppers in terms of heat level. Grown mainly on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, its coloring is yellow-orange, orange or bright red, depending upon when it's harvested. Average Size 1 to 2 1/2 inches long and 1 to 2 inches diameter and tam-shaped.
Caribbean Red Habanero: 300,000 - 475,000 Scovilles. This extremely hot pepper, originally from the Yucatn peninsula in Mexico, is now also cultivated in the Carribean and around North America.
Red Savina Habanero: 200,000 - 580,000 Scovilles. This pepper is a cultivar of the habanero. It once held the Guinness Record for the hottest chili pepper, but the Bhut Jolokia now claims that prize.
Bhut Jolokia: 1,001,304 Scovilles. Now, truly the hottest chili pepper around!
Naga Jolokia - It's just another name for the Bhut Jolokia chili pepper.
More Chili Pepper Information
Got a huge harvest of fresh chilis this year? Here are some great resources on preservations methods:
Here's some interesting Jalapeño information. This is all from the Jalapeno Madness cookbook, so if you like what you see and would like more information, including dozens and dozens of recipes from breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and more, order a copy today.
How about a bit of chili pepper history and information?
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