General Information
Habañero chile peppers are characteristically lantern-shaped, with varieties that range in color from green, yellow, orange, red, reddish-purple and brown. When ripe, they have a distinctively sweet, tropical fruity flavor and an apricot aroma. In addition to their extreme spice, the Dried Habañero chile offers desiccated fruit notes of golden raisin, dried orange zest and mango fruit leather. Habañeros are at least 50 times hotter than the jalapeño and can sometimes measure off the Scoville Chart (200,000-350,000 units).
History
Habañero chile peppers are native to the Caribbean Islands; their name is a derivative meaning “from Havana”. A close relative to the Jamaican Scotch Bonnet, they are often used in the richly spiced cuisine of the region. Their intense heat aids the body in hot climates by inducing light perspiration and thus cooling one’s core temperature.
