Medium Chili Peppers (Finger Chili Pepper)

In Albums: food peppers produce

Feb 27th, 2011, by Alex Zorach

I have seen these chili peppers for sale widely, yet I cannot get a definitive answer on what variety they are. They are usually labeled as "medium chili" or "finger chili". They are most often for sale in Indian groceries, but I have seen them for sale at other Asian groceries and general produce stands. These were for sale at the Newark, Delaware farmer's market, which gives little information as that market regularly sells hot peppers from a wide variety of different cultures.

Of all the named varieties, these look most similar to Cayenne pepper, but they look just a tad too narrow. Also, they tend not to be as hot as I would expect from Cayenne (although some of them definitely are, their heat is widely variable).

These peppers are very versatile. They have a fresh aroma, most similar to a Serrano, but less piercing. Their heat ranges from slightly milder than a Jalapeno (rarely) to much hotter, but they tend to be less hot than Serranos and much less hot than Thai chilis. I find they make excellent salsa, and can be used if you want a Serrano-like flavor with a little less heat.