The banana pepper (also known as the yellow wax pepper or banana chili) is a medium-sized member of the
chili pepper
Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus '' Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated fo ...
family that has a mild, tangy taste. While typically bright yellow, it is possible for them to change to green, red, or orange as they ripen. It is often
pickled
Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and flavor. The resulting food is called a ...
, stuffed or used as a raw ingredient in foods. It is a cultivar of the species ''
Capsicum annuum
''Capsicum annuum'' is a species of the plant genus '' Capsicum'' native to southern North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. This species is the most common and extensively cultivated of the five domesticated capsicums. The spe ...
''. Its flavor is not very hot (0–500
Scoville units) and, as is the case with most peppers, its heat depends on the maturity of the pepper, with the ripest being sweeter than younger ones.
Nomenclature
A mature fruit will be about 2–3 inches (5–8 cm) in length and have a curved shape and yellowish color similar to a
banana
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
, giving rise to the fruit's common name.
Friggitelli
The friggitello (plural friggitelli) is a sweet Italian chili pepper of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. It is also known as the Golden Greek pepper, Sweet Italian pepper, or Tuscan pepper. In the United States they may be called "pepperoncini"; ...
(pepperoncini) are often erroneously referred to as banana peppers. The hot varieties of banana pepper are called
Hungarian wax peppers.
Cultivation
The plant requires full sun, like other ''Capsicum annuum'' varieties, and should be treated the same as most other plants in the pepper family. Plants can be grown from seed and
cuttings. A mature plant will reach 1 to 2 feet tall and can be grown in many climates, but prefers warmer climates. Cultivars include Early Sweet Banana, Hungarian Yellow Wax, Long Sweet Yellow, Sweet Banana, and Sweet Hungarian.
Nutritional information
Raw banana peppers contain 92% water, 5%
carbohydrate
In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or ma ...
s, and negligible
fat and
protein (table). They are rich sources of
vitamin C
Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...
, containing 100% of the
Daily Value
The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products in the U.S. and Canada is the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97–98% of healt ...
(DV) in a 100 gram reference amount (table).
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is one of the B vitamins, and thus an essential nutrient. The term refers to a group of six chemically similar compounds, i.e., " vitamers", which can be interconverted in biological systems. Its active form, pyridoxal 5′-phospha ...
is present in substantial content of 28% DV, with no other
micronutrient
Micronutrients are essential dietary elements required by organisms in varying quantities throughout life to orchestrate a range of physiological functions to maintain health. Micronutrient requirements differ between organisms; for example, hum ...
s in appreciable amounts (table).
Serving styles
*
Pickled
Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and flavor. The resulting food is called a ...
banana peppers are commonly sold sliced and used to garnish
pizza
Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, on ...
s,
sandwich
A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...
es and
Greek salad
Greek salad or horiatiki salad ( el, χωριάτικη σαλάτα or ) is a popular salad in Greek cuisine generally made with pieces of tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, feta cheese (usually served as a slice on top of the other ingredients), and o ...
s.
*Pickled and
stuffed banana peppers are common inclusions on
antipasto bars filled with
prosciutto
''Prosciutto crudo'', in English often shortened to prosciutto ( , ), is Italian uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-cured ham. ''Prosciutto crudo'' is usually served thinly sliced.
Several regions in Italy have their own variations of ''prosciutto cru ...
and/or
cheese
Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During productio ...
.
*Stuffed banana peppers are served warm with a variety of
Italian sausage
In North America, Italian sausage (''salsiccia'' in Italian) most often refers to a style of pork sausage. The sausage is often noted for being seasoned with fennel as the primary seasoning. In Italy, however, a wide variety of sausages are ma ...
and
cheese
Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During productio ...
s.
*Chopped or
diced banana peppers are used in many
relish
A relish is a cooked and pickled product made of chopped vegetables, fruits or herbs and is a food item typically used as a condiment to enhance a staple. Examples are chutneys and the North American relish, a pickled cucumber jam eaten with ...
es and
salsas to add sweetness with other peppers providing heat.
*Banana peppers may be
jellied along with other hot green peppers such as
jalapeño
The jalapeño ( , , ) is a medium-sized chili pepper pod type cultivar of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. A mature jalapeño chili is long and hangs down with a round, firm, smooth flesh of wide. It can have a range of pungency, with Scovi ...
s.
*
Chilli Bhajji / Mirchi Bhaji — Chilli bajji is a tasty, crispy, and spicy snack, made with banana peppers, gram flour, rice flour, chilli powder, and deep-fried in oil.
See also
*
List of ''Capsicum'' cultivars
References
{{Capsicum Cultivars
Chili peppers
Capsicum cultivars