Manzano

Manzano peppers (Capsicum pubescens) are distinctively apple-shaped fruits with unusually thick walls, a citrusy-sweet flavor, and black seeds — the only domesticated chili species to carry black seeds consistently. Purple star-shaped flowers and fuzzy leaves set the plant apart visually from all other cultivated capsicums, and the species thrives at cooler highland altitudes where most peppers struggle. Ripened pods turn orange or red and are prized fresh in Andean salsas and ceviche.

Days to maturity

90–120 days

Plant height

60–90 cm (2–3 ft)

Best use

Fresh salsas, ceviche, stuffing

Species

Capsicum pubescens

Origin

Andean South America (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador)