Tepin

The Tepin (also called Chiltepin) is a tiny, round wild pepper native to the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona and northern Mexico and is considered by botanists to be the closest living relative of the ancestral wild chili. It produces small, pea-sized red fruits with a bright, slightly fruity, and complex flavor followed by an intense but short-lived burst of heat. As the only chili pepper native to the United States, it holds a protected status in Arizona and features prominently in traditional Sonoran cuisine in salsas, beans, and as a dried tabletop condiment.

Days to maturity

90–120 days

Plant height

60–90 cm (24–36 in)

Best use

Salsas, dried seasoning, condiment

Species

Capsicum annuum

Origin

Sonoran Desert, USA/Mexico (wild native)