What Is Diablo Grande Pepper?
It’s a banana-type medium hot pepper, a cultivar that belongs to the Capsicum Annuum species in the Solanaceae family. It’s a close cousin of common peppers like cayenne, jalapeno, and serrano but much hotter than all of them.
There isn’t any verified evidence that suggests the exact origin of this pepper. Chili experts consider it to be an Italian pepper and it is mostly cultivated in Italy. By the way, this pepper does not have any connection to Diablo Grande, a census-designated place in Stanislaus County, California.
The pepper plant is small in size, grows to a maximum of 45 cm in height and its fruits turn bright red when ripe. The plant must be grown under full sun or half shade, in fertile, light soil, enriched with organic manure, and irrigated regularly. Usually, the fruits get ready for harvesting in 60 days of planting the seedlings.
Key Facts In A Gist
- Capsicum species: Annuum
- Origin: Italy
- Heat level: 60,000 to 100,000 SHU
- Median heat: 80,000 SHU
- Size: average 5 inches long and 1 inch thick
- Shape: tapered, crescent-shaped
- Color: changes from green to red when ripe
- Flavor: earthy, grassy
- Popular Uses: pickling, powder spice, hot dishes
- Main Recipes: hot salsa, sauces, salads
- Substitutes: Cayenne, Thai Hot Peppers, Chiltepin
Diablo Grande Pepper Scoville
Diablo chili is an upper medium-hot pepper with a heat level ranging between 60,000 and 100,000 SHU on the Scoville Scale and has a heat rating of 4 on 10. Dried red chiles are some 10 times hotter than fresh green ones. Heat-wise it can be compared to Thai Hot Peppers, Chiltepin, and Santaka which have the same level of heat.
Diablo Grande at its best can be up to 20 times hotter than Jalapeno which ranks 5,000 SHU on average. In comparison to Cayenne, it’s about three times hotter.
What Do They Look and Taste Like?
The fruits start out yellow-green and ripen to bright red, with a narrow crescent shape and significantly thick flesh. They are tapered and have a pointed tail-end that is slightly curling inward. The average size of the Diablo Grande pepper is about 5 inches long and 1 inch in diameter in the fattest portion.
Diablo Grande peppers taste somewhat similar to Jalapeno and Serrano peppers. An earthy and grassy taste is common to all these peppers.
Uses
This pepper can be used just as you do with Jalapeno or Cayenne but be mindful of its high heat. In fact, it’s an alternative to Jalapeno or Cayenne when you are making hot and spicy dishes. Their earthy and grassy taste is great in most recipes that call for medium-hot chilies. Use them fresh, cooked in dishes, or pickled. Diablo Grande Peppers taste great in fresh salsa, sauces, and salads. Like the cayenne pepper, they are suitable for drying and chili powder.
Despite having a wonderful flavor, this pepper is commonly used as an ornamental plant as they are very beautiful plants with bright green and red fruits. The plant is small in size and has great resistance, which makes it ideal for decorative vases.
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