Capsicum chinense
This aromatic variety of sweet pepper, sometimes slightly spicy, was once cultivated as an ornamental plant, but it can now be found on most the tables of the Midwest and the Southeast regions, especially in Minas Gerais and São Paulo. Usually sold in jars, preserved (marketed sometimes as “kiss pepper” in English-speaking countries, a reference to chocolate kisses), they can also be found fresh at fairs and farm markets. The red, round fruit with a pointy “little beak” (biquinho in Portuguese) is about 1 inch long, and can be used in meat and fish dishes, and sauces, among other recipes.
