The Hungarian wax pepper is a medium variety of ''
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 spec ...
'' with a wide
Scoville Scale
The Scoville scale is a measurement of the pungency (spiciness or "heat") of chili peppers, as recorded in Scoville heat units (SHU), based on the concentration of capsaicinoids, among which capsaicin is the predominant component.
The scale i ...
range of 1,000 to 15,000 Scoville units.
Description
This pepper is usually harvested before maturity when still yellow. It measures between 4"-6" inches in length (10–15 cm) which tapers to a rounded point. Upon maturity, the pepper becomes orange, then red. Although similar in appearance to
banana peppers
The banana pepper (also known as the yellow wax pepper or banana chili) is a medium-sized member of the chili pepper family that has a mild, tangy taste. While typically bright yellow, it is possible for them to change to green, red, or orange as ...
when immature, it is a different
cultivar
A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...
.
Due to the ease of cultivation and the productivity of the plant, many home gardeners
pickle these whole or sliced in rings.
Varieties
* Szentesi paprika is a mild one, has
PGI status.
Named after the town
Szentes
Szentes is a town in south-eastern Hungary, Csongrád county, near the Tisza river. The town is a cultural and educational center of the region.
Notable people
* Árpád Balázs (born 1937), classical music composer
* János Bácskai 1954. novemb ...
.
* TV paprika; TV stands for "tölteni való", meaning to-be-stuffed. A top value mild variant eaten raw, used for various dishes, or, as its name suggests, can be used for stuffed paprika, filled with meatball and served with tomato sauce, the taste being similar to
lecsó
Lecsó ( en, Lecho, ; hu, lecsó ; Czech and Slovak: ''lečo''; german: Letscho; pl, leczo; Russian and ua, лечо) is a Hungarian thick vegetable ragout or stew which traditionally contains yellow pointed peppers, tomato, onion, salt, ...
.
* Lecsó paprika; a cheaper, overripe, mild variant, often with a shade of orange color. As its name suggests, often used for various lecsó-based dishes.
* Bogyiszlói paprika is a hot Hungarian wax pepper. It looks very similar to TV paprika, around 10,000 on Scoville Scale. Named after the village
Bogyiszló
Bogyiszló is a village in Hungary in Tolna county near Szekszárd. Famous for its hot, white-skinned peppers.
Geography
Bogyiszló is located from 11 km east from Szekszárd, in the southern part of Mezőföld, near the Danube river a ...
, where it is traditionally harvested.
Gallery
File:Wax pepper.jpg
File:Baby Hungarian Wax Peppers in a hydroponic net basket.jpg
File:Fully Ripe Hungarian Wax pepper (Red).jpg
File:Hungarian wax pepper IMG 5672.JPG
File:Hungarian wax peppers roots being revealed IMG 5673.JPG
File:Hungarian wax peppers IMG 5535.JPG
File:Hungarian wax peppers IMG 5543.JPG
File:Hungarian wax peppers IMG 5644.JPG
File:Hungarian wax peppers - flower of the pepper IMG 5434.JPG
File:Hungarian wax peppers , hydroponic and led grow setup IMG 5441.JPG
File:Hungarian wax pepper plant.jpg
File:Hungarian wax pepper small plant with two peppers and flowers.jpg
See also
*
Paprika
Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from '' Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder ...
References
{{Capsicum Cultivars
Hydroponics
Chili peppers
Capsicum cultivars