Learn About These Other Medium-Hot Chili Peppers
This list includes fish peppers. While fish peppers used to be a necessary staple in almost every household in the Baltimore, the Chesapeake Bay and mid Atlantic region back in the 19th century, they were lost with time and become something of a whispered secret in the culinary community. The spice level varies considerably depending on the stage maturity. Young, immature fish peppers tend to have a milder heat that is subtle and mellow. Mature peppers have a strong heat intensity. The chilies start off with a creamy white hue on their outer shells that gradually becomes greener. As the chili reaches maturity, the green color evolves into a dull and then a fiery red shade that makes it look like a perfect, textbook chili pepper. The transition between the solid colors are marked with striations: green striations on a white chili and then dark brown striations on an orange chili. Since different chilies on the same plant are at different stages of development at any given time, the plants are often grown and kept at home as ornamental plants as well in vegetable gardens. Fish houses in the yonder days in the Baltimore to mid Atlantic region would acquire these fish peppers in the very early stages of development. This is when the pepper would still have a white shade instead of its typical bright green or red color that become more apparent in their mature stages. The goal was to grind up the chili and make it perfectly blend into the sauces they crafted for their seafood based meals. Other than creamy fish sauces, fish peppers can also be incorporated into meals to add moderate levels of heat and are often used in hot sauces and salsas. You can chop it up, bite it whole, or grind and puree it to make it blend in. Many people also enjoy the sweet and spicy flavor of pickled fish peppers. Younger chili peppers that still retain their original white color tend to be the creamiest as well as the mildest in flavor and spice level. As the chili matures, the flavor becomes stronger and the heat rises in tandem. A fully grown, bright red chili pepper has a bold and tangy taste. The outer skin is thick and crunchy with a refreshing bite. Your best bet at obtaining these peppers would be to either get access to a farmer’s market in this region or buy some fish pepper seeds online and grow your own.
