This species of chili is found in most of the country, but it is especially cultivated in large quantities in the department of Petén, characterized by its special flavor and aroma, as well as its bell-shaped shape. It is very easy to prepare a sauce with habanero peppers, but you must not forget that it is very, very hot.
It is so hot that the habanero chili has between 100,000 and 580,000 points on the Scoville scale* (This scale describes the different intensities of spiciness in some fruit or seed), and this means that it is really hot. This places the habanero pepper among the 10 hottest chili peppers in the world.
Its data sheet describes it as glabrous both stems and leaves; green stems and nodes; margins of calyx toothed; corolla greenish white; anthers pale blue, filament white; stigma at same level as anthers; annular constriction at junction of calyx and petiole, present; fruits of intermediate position, green in immature state, when ripe they turn yellow or red, bell-shaped, very rough periphery, pungent; straw seed. The dimensions of the fruits on average are: length 3.5 cm, width 3.7 cm. and 3mm. thick pericarp.
For those who love the intense spicy flavor, you can enjoy it by snacking it on the dinner plate or taking small bites while enjoying your lunch. This form is only recommended for those who have already been eating habanero for some time. It is so spicy that if you simply touch it and lick your fingers, you will feel its spicy flavor.
We share 5 ways to enjoy this spicy chili.
- Chopped chili with lemon
Perfect for when you're in a hurry and don't have much time. You just have to chop the habanero into small squares, put it in a container, add enough lemon and a little touch of salt and that's it!
- With chopped tomato.
Mix chopped tomato, onion and cilantro, add lemon or sour orange juice, a touch of salt and of course the habanero pepper. The result is delicious with a touch of freshness, and it goes very well with roast meat.
- Spicy paste.
First, finely chop some habanero peppers along with a few cloves of garlic, when they are ready, put them in a traditional kitchen mortar, add a little sour orange juice and salt, then forcefully form a paste with these few ingredients, as soon as it is ready, you can enjoy this delicious mixture.
- With Tomato Chirmol
It is said that this sauce (also known as Chiltomate) is one of the first in the world made with cooked tomatoes. In a pan, place four tomatoes, two habanero peppers and half an onion and fry them with a touch of oil. When the raisins are lightly roasted, you put them in the blender, add a little coriander, salt, blend them and that's it. At the time of serving you put a little cilantro to give it the final touch.
- Curtido Style
Cut purple onion into large segments, sliced carrot and peel a few cloves of garlic. In a pot you pour olive oil and put it over high heat, as soon as it is hot, then add the garlic, onion, carrot and chilies. Fry for five minutes, add three cups of water, clove, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and vinegar. Let it boil for half an hour over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You remove it from the heat and let it cool completely; once cold, you can enjoy it with any of your favorite dishes, be it a Guatemalan recipe or the one you prefer.