🌶️ Pepper Vocab
Pepper names can describe heat level, shape, color, ripeness, flavor, or the way a pepper is usually cooked. Some peppers, such as bell peppers, are sweet and have almost no chile heat. Others, including jalapeños and serranos, are familiar everyday hot peppers. Habaneros and Scotch bonnets combine intense heat with a noticeable fruity aroma, while peppers such as ghost peppers and Carolina Reapers belong to the much more extreme superhot category. It is also important to remember that color alone does not reliably tell you how hot a pepper will be.
🫑 Sweet & Mild
🫑 Bell Pepper
large thick-walled sweet pepper with little or no chile heat
Example: She diced red and yellow bell peppers for the salad.
🇫🇷 French: Poivron
🇩🇪 German: Paprika / Paprikaschote
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperone
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimentão
💡 Nuance: Bell peppers are usually blocky and thick-walled. Green bell peppers are generally less ripe and taste more grassy or bitter, while red, yellow, and orange peppers tend to taste sweeter.
large thick-walled sweet pepper with little or no chile heat
Example: She diced red and yellow bell peppers for the salad.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Pimiento / pimentón🇫🇷 French: Poivron
🇩🇪 German: Paprika / Paprikaschote
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperone
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimentão
💡 Nuance: Bell peppers are usually blocky and thick-walled. Green bell peppers are generally less ripe and taste more grassy or bitter, while red, yellow, and orange peppers tend to taste sweeter.
🟡 Cubanelle Pepper
long, thin-walled, usually mild pepper commonly sautéed, fried, or roasted
Example: The cubanelle peppers softened quickly in the skillet because their walls were thin.
🇫🇷 French: Cubanelle
🇩🇪 German: Cubanelle
🇮🇹 Italian: Cubanelle / friggitello (similar job)
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cubanelle
💡 Nuance: Cubanelles are often called frying peppers because their thin walls cook quickly. They are usually milder and thinner than poblanos or Anaheim chiles.
long, thin-walled, usually mild pepper commonly sautéed, fried, or roasted
Example: The cubanelle peppers softened quickly in the skillet because their walls were thin.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Cubanelle / ají cubanela🇫🇷 French: Cubanelle
🇩🇪 German: Cubanelle
🇮🇹 Italian: Cubanelle / friggitello (similar job)
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cubanelle
💡 Nuance: Cubanelles are often called frying peppers because their thin walls cook quickly. They are usually milder and thinner than poblanos or Anaheim chiles.
🍌 Banana Pepper
long pale yellow pepper that is usually mild and often sold pickled
Example: Pickled banana pepper rings added acidity and mild sweetness to the sandwich.
🇫🇷 French: Piment banane
🇩🇪 German: Bananenpaprika
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperone banana
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimentão banana
💡 Nuance: Banana peppers can look very similar to Hungarian wax peppers. Banana peppers are usually mild, while wax peppers are more likely to have noticeable heat.
long pale yellow pepper that is usually mild and often sold pickled
Example: Pickled banana pepper rings added acidity and mild sweetness to the sandwich.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Pimiento banana🇫🇷 French: Piment banane
🇩🇪 German: Bananenpaprika
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperone banana
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimentão banana
💡 Nuance: Banana peppers can look very similar to Hungarian wax peppers. Banana peppers are usually mild, while wax peppers are more likely to have noticeable heat.
🟥 Piquillo Pepper
small sweet red Spanish pepper commonly roasted, peeled, and packed in jars
Example: The jarred piquillo peppers were already roasted and ready to stuff.
🇫🇷 French: Piquillo
🇩🇪 German: Piquillo
🇮🇹 Italian: Piquillo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Piquillo
💡 Nuance: Piquillos are valued more for sweetness and roasted flavor than heat. Their name refers to their small pointed or beak-like shape.
small sweet red Spanish pepper commonly roasted, peeled, and packed in jars
Example: The jarred piquillo peppers were already roasted and ready to stuff.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Pimiento del piquillo🇫🇷 French: Piquillo
🇩🇪 German: Piquillo
🇮🇹 Italian: Piquillo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Piquillo
💡 Nuance: Piquillos are valued more for sweetness and roasted flavor than heat. Their name refers to their small pointed or beak-like shape.
🟩 Anaheim Pepper
long mild green chile commonly roasted, chopped, stuffed, or used in sauces
Example: She roasted Anaheim chiles for a mild green sauce.
🇫🇷 French: Piment Anaheim
🇩🇪 German: Anaheim-Chili
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperoncino Anaheim
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta Anaheim
💡 Nuance: Anaheim peppers are generally long and relatively mild. Poblanos are usually wider, darker, and especially familiar as whole stuffed chiles.
long mild green chile commonly roasted, chopped, stuffed, or used in sauces
Example: She roasted Anaheim chiles for a mild green sauce.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Chile Anaheim🇫🇷 French: Piment Anaheim
🇩🇪 German: Anaheim-Chili
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperoncino Anaheim
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta Anaheim
💡 Nuance: Anaheim peppers are generally long and relatively mild. Poblanos are usually wider, darker, and especially familiar as whole stuffed chiles.
🟢 Poblano
large dark-green Mexican chile with mild-to-medium heat, often roasted or stuffed
Example: She roasted the poblanos before filling them for chiles rellenos.
🇫🇷 French: Poblano
🇩🇪 German: Poblano
🇮🇹 Italian: Poblano
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Poblano
💡 Nuance: A fresh poblano becomes an ancho chile when dried. This fresh-vs.-dried name change is an important piece of Mexican chile vocabulary.
large dark-green Mexican chile with mild-to-medium heat, often roasted or stuffed
Example: She roasted the poblanos before filling them for chiles rellenos.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Poblano🇫🇷 French: Poblano
🇩🇪 German: Poblano
🇮🇹 Italian: Poblano
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Poblano
💡 Nuance: A fresh poblano becomes an ancho chile when dried. This fresh-vs.-dried name change is an important piece of Mexican chile vocabulary.
🌶️ Everyday Heat
🌶️ Jalapeño
medium-hot Mexican chile with a crisp texture and fresh grassy flavor
Example: She sliced fresh jalapeños over the nachos for moderate heat.
🇫🇷 French: Jalapeño
🇩🇪 German: Jalapeño
🇮🇹 Italian: Jalapeño
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Jalapeño
💡 Nuance: Jalapeño is a useful reference point for familiar medium chile heat. When a jalapeño is smoked and dried, it is called a chipotle.
medium-hot Mexican chile with a crisp texture and fresh grassy flavor
Example: She sliced fresh jalapeños over the nachos for moderate heat.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Jalapeño🇫🇷 French: Jalapeño
🇩🇪 German: Jalapeño
🇮🇹 Italian: Jalapeño
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Jalapeño
💡 Nuance: Jalapeño is a useful reference point for familiar medium chile heat. When a jalapeño is smoked and dried, it is called a chipotle.
🟢 Serrano
small narrow Mexican chile with bright flavor and usually more heat than a jalapeño
Example: The salsa used serranos because the cook wanted more heat than a jalapeño would provide.
🇫🇷 French: Serrano
🇩🇪 German: Serrano
🇮🇹 Italian: Serrano
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Serrano
💡 Nuance: Serranos are generally thinner and hotter than jalapeños but still belong to familiar everyday salsa heat rather than the much hotter habanero category.
small narrow Mexican chile with bright flavor and usually more heat than a jalapeño
Example: The salsa used serranos because the cook wanted more heat than a jalapeño would provide.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Serrano🇫🇷 French: Serrano
🇩🇪 German: Serrano
🇮🇹 Italian: Serrano
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Serrano
💡 Nuance: Serranos are generally thinner and hotter than jalapeños but still belong to familiar everyday salsa heat rather than the much hotter habanero category.
🔴 Fresno Pepper
medium-hot chile that commonly ripens red and has a bright, slightly fruity flavor
Example: The red Fresno peppers added color and moderate heat to the sauce.
🇫🇷 French: Piment Fresno
🇩🇪 German: Fresno-Chili
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperoncino Fresno
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta Fresno
💡 Nuance: Fresno peppers are often compared with jalapeños because they occupy a similar general heat range. Ripe red Fresnos tend to taste somewhat fruitier.
medium-hot chile that commonly ripens red and has a bright, slightly fruity flavor
Example: The red Fresno peppers added color and moderate heat to the sauce.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Chile Fresno🇫🇷 French: Piment Fresno
🇩🇪 German: Fresno-Chili
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperoncino Fresno
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta Fresno
💡 Nuance: Fresno peppers are often compared with jalapeños because they occupy a similar general heat range. Ripe red Fresnos tend to taste somewhat fruitier.
〰️ Cayenne Pepper
long thin hot chile commonly dried and ground into red cayenne powder
Example: The recipe needed only a small pinch of ground cayenne to increase the heat.
🇫🇷 French: Piment de Cayenne
🇩🇪 German: Cayennepfeffer
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperoncino cayenne
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta-caiena
💡 Nuance: In everyday English, cayenne pepper often refers to the ground red powder. The fresh chile itself is long, narrow, and considerably hotter than a typical bell pepper.
long thin hot chile commonly dried and ground into red cayenne powder
Example: The recipe needed only a small pinch of ground cayenne to increase the heat.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Cayena🇫🇷 French: Piment de Cayenne
🇩🇪 German: Cayennepfeffer
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperoncino cayenne
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta-caiena
💡 Nuance: In everyday English, cayenne pepper often refers to the ground red powder. The fresh chile itself is long, narrow, and considerably hotter than a typical bell pepper.
🟨 Hungarian Wax Pepper
long yellow chile whose heat can range from mild to distinctly hot
Example: The Hungarian wax pepper looked like a banana pepper but tasted much hotter.
🇫🇷 French: Piment ciré hongrois
🇩🇪 German: Ungarischer Wachspfeffer
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperone cera ungherese
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta-cera húngara
💡 Nuance: Yellow color does not guarantee mildness. Hungarian wax peppers are an important lookalike for banana peppers because their shape and color can be very similar.
long yellow chile whose heat can range from mild to distinctly hot
Example: The Hungarian wax pepper looked like a banana pepper but tasted much hotter.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Chile cera húngaro🇫🇷 French: Piment ciré hongrois
🇩🇪 German: Ungarischer Wachspfeffer
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperone cera ungherese
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta-cera húngara
💡 Nuance: Yellow color does not guarantee mildness. Hungarian wax peppers are an important lookalike for banana peppers because their shape and color can be very similar.
🍒 Cherry Pepper
small round pepper that may be sweet, mild, or hot depending on the variety
Example: She checked the jar to see whether the pickled cherry peppers were sweet or hot.
🇫🇷 French: Piment cerise
🇩🇪 German: Kirschpaprika
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperone ciliegia
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta-cereja
💡 Nuance: Cherry pepper primarily describes the small round shape. Because different cherry-pepper varieties have different heat levels, the package label matters.
small round pepper that may be sweet, mild, or hot depending on the variety
Example: She checked the jar to see whether the pickled cherry peppers were sweet or hot.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Pimiento cereza🇫🇷 French: Piment cerise
🇩🇪 German: Kirschpaprika
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperone ciliegia
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta-cereja
💡 Nuance: Cherry pepper primarily describes the small round shape. Because different cherry-pepper varieties have different heat levels, the package label matters.
🎲 Mild… Usually
🇯🇵 Shishito Pepper
small Japanese pepper that is usually mild and commonly blistered or grilled whole
Example: The shishito peppers were blistered in a hot pan and finished with salt.
🇫🇷 French: Shishito
🇩🇪 German: Shishito
🇮🇹 Italian: Shishito
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Shishito
💡 Nuance: Most shishitos are mild, but individual peppers can occasionally be noticeably hotter. To blister means to cook over high heat until the skin develops browned or charred bubbles.
small Japanese pepper that is usually mild and commonly blistered or grilled whole
Example: The shishito peppers were blistered in a hot pan and finished with salt.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Shishito🇫🇷 French: Shishito
🇩🇪 German: Shishito
🇮🇹 Italian: Shishito
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Shishito
💡 Nuance: Most shishitos are mild, but individual peppers can occasionally be noticeably hotter. To blister means to cook over high heat until the skin develops browned or charred bubbles.
🇪🇸 Padrón Pepper
small Spanish pepper usually fried or blistered whole, with unpredictable heat from pepper to pepper
Example: The Padrón peppers were served blistered with olive oil and coarse salt.
🇫🇷 French: Piment de Padrón
🇩🇪 German: Padrón-Paprika
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperone Padrón
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimento de Padrón
💡 Nuance: Like shishitos, most Padrón peppers are mild but some are hotter. The two peppers belong to different culinary traditions even though the serving style can look similar.
small Spanish pepper usually fried or blistered whole, with unpredictable heat from pepper to pepper
Example: The Padrón peppers were served blistered with olive oil and coarse salt.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Pimiento de Padrón🇫🇷 French: Piment de Padrón
🇩🇪 German: Padrón-Paprika
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperone Padrón
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimento de Padrón
💡 Nuance: Like shishitos, most Padrón peppers are mild but some are hotter. The two peppers belong to different culinary traditions even though the serving style can look similar.
🍑 Fruity Heat
🧡 Habanero
small very hot chile with a distinctive fruity and floral aroma
Example: She used only part of one habanero to give the salsa intense heat and fruity flavor.
🇫🇷 French: Habanero
🇩🇪 German: Habanero
🇮🇹 Italian: Habanero
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Habanero
💡 Nuance: Habaneros are much hotter than jalapeños or serranos, but they are also valued for their tropical fruity aroma. Heat is not their only flavor characteristic.
small very hot chile with a distinctive fruity and floral aroma
Example: She used only part of one habanero to give the salsa intense heat and fruity flavor.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Habanero🇫🇷 French: Habanero
🇩🇪 German: Habanero
🇮🇹 Italian: Habanero
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Habanero
💡 Nuance: Habaneros are much hotter than jalapeños or serranos, but they are also valued for their tropical fruity aroma. Heat is not their only flavor characteristic.
🇯🇲 Scotch Bonnet
very hot Caribbean chile with a fruity, aromatic flavor
Example: Scotch bonnet gave the jerk marinade both intense heat and a fruity aroma.
🇫🇷 French: Scotch bonnet
🇩🇪 German: Scotch Bonnet
🇮🇹 Italian: Scotch bonnet
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Scotch bonnet
💡 Nuance: Scotch bonnets are closely associated with Caribbean cooking and occupy a similar general heat range to habaneros. Their flattened, wrinkled shape inspired the name bonnet.
very hot Caribbean chile with a fruity, aromatic flavor
Example: Scotch bonnet gave the jerk marinade both intense heat and a fruity aroma.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Scotch bonnet🇫🇷 French: Scotch bonnet
🇩🇪 German: Scotch Bonnet
🇮🇹 Italian: Scotch bonnet
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Scotch bonnet
💡 Nuance: Scotch bonnets are closely associated with Caribbean cooking and occupy a similar general heat range to habaneros. Their flattened, wrinkled shape inspired the name bonnet.
🍫 Chocolate Habanero
dark-brown habanero type with very high heat and a rich fruity aroma
Example: The chocolate habanero ripened to a deep brown color but did not taste like chocolate.
🇫🇷 French: Habanero chocolat
🇩🇪 German: Schokoladen-Habanero
🇮🇹 Italian: Habanero chocolate
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Habanero chocolate
💡 Nuance: Here, chocolate describes the dark brown color, not a cocoa flavor. It remains a very hot habanero-type pepper.
dark-brown habanero type with very high heat and a rich fruity aroma
Example: The chocolate habanero ripened to a deep brown color but did not taste like chocolate.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Habanero chocolate🇫🇷 French: Habanero chocolat
🇩🇪 German: Schokoladen-Habanero
🇮🇹 Italian: Habanero chocolate
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Habanero chocolate
💡 Nuance: Here, chocolate describes the dark brown color, not a cocoa flavor. It remains a very hot habanero-type pepper.
🇵🇪 Aji Amarillo
yellow-orange Peruvian chile with medium heat and a bright fruity flavor
Example: Aji amarillo paste gave the sauce its characteristic golden color and fruity chile flavor.
🇫🇷 French: Aji amarillo
🇩🇪 German: Aji Amarillo
🇮🇹 Italian: Aji amarillo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Aji amarillo
💡 Nuance: Amarillo means yellow in Spanish. Aji amarillo has real heat, but its fruity flavor is just as important to many Peruvian dishes.
yellow-orange Peruvian chile with medium heat and a bright fruity flavor
Example: Aji amarillo paste gave the sauce its characteristic golden color and fruity chile flavor.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Ají amarillo🇫🇷 French: Aji amarillo
🇩🇪 German: Aji Amarillo
🇮🇹 Italian: Aji amarillo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Aji amarillo
💡 Nuance: Amarillo means yellow in Spanish. Aji amarillo has real heat, but its fruity flavor is just as important to many Peruvian dishes.
🟤 Aji Panca
mild Peruvian chile with a deep red-brown color and rich fruity flavor
Example: The cook used aji panca paste to add depth and color without overwhelming heat.
🇫🇷 French: Aji panca
🇩🇪 German: Aji Panca
🇮🇹 Italian: Aji panca
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Aji panca
💡 Nuance: Aji panca is especially useful when a recipe needs chile flavor, color, and fruitiness without extreme heat.
mild Peruvian chile with a deep red-brown color and rich fruity flavor
Example: The cook used aji panca paste to add depth and color without overwhelming heat.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Ají panca🇫🇷 French: Aji panca
🇩🇪 German: Aji Panca
🇮🇹 Italian: Aji panca
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Aji panca
💡 Nuance: Aji panca is especially useful when a recipe needs chile flavor, color, and fruitiness without extreme heat.
🇲🇽 Guajillo Pepper
Mexican dried red chile with moderate heat and fruity, tangy flavor
Example: She soaked the dried guajillos in hot water before blending them into the sauce.
🇫🇷 French: Guajillo
🇩🇪 German: Guajillo
🇮🇹 Italian: Guajillo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Guajillo
💡 Nuance: Guajillo is especially familiar as a dried chile used in sauces, marinades, and stews. It brings moderate warmth rather than superhot intensity.
Mexican dried red chile with moderate heat and fruity, tangy flavor
Example: She soaked the dried guajillos in hot water before blending them into the sauce.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Guajillo🇫🇷 French: Guajillo
🇩🇪 German: Guajillo
🇮🇹 Italian: Guajillo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Guajillo
💡 Nuance: Guajillo is especially familiar as a dried chile used in sauces, marinades, and stews. It brings moderate warmth rather than superhot intensity.
🔥 Small Fire & Superhots
🇹🇭 Thai Chili
small slender hot chile commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking
Example: She sliced one Thai chili into the stir-fry because a small amount provided plenty of heat.
🇫🇷 French: Piment thaï
🇩🇪 German: Thai-Chili
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperoncino thai
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta tailandesa
💡 Nuance: The English label Thai chili can cover several small hot chiles. It often overlaps with the term bird's eye chili in grocery and restaurant contexts.
small slender hot chile commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking
Example: She sliced one Thai chili into the stir-fry because a small amount provided plenty of heat.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Chile tailandés🇫🇷 French: Piment thaï
🇩🇪 German: Thai-Chili
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperoncino thai
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta tailandesa
💡 Nuance: The English label Thai chili can cover several small hot chiles. It often overlaps with the term bird's eye chili in grocery and restaurant contexts.
🐦 Bird's Eye Chili
small intensely hot chile name used for several closely related hot peppers in Asian and African cooking
Example: The raw bird's eye chilies made the dipping sauce intensely hot.
🇫🇷 French: Piment oiseau
🇩🇪 German: Vogelaugen-Chili
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperoncino occhio di uccello
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta-olho-de-pássaro
💡 Nuance: Bird's eye is a broad common name rather than one perfectly standardized grocery variety. The key learner clues are small size and strong heat.
small intensely hot chile name used for several closely related hot peppers in Asian and African cooking
Example: The raw bird's eye chilies made the dipping sauce intensely hot.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Chile ojo de pájaro🇫🇷 French: Piment oiseau
🇩🇪 German: Vogelaugen-Chili
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperoncino occhio di uccello
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta-olho-de-pássaro
💡 Nuance: Bird's eye is a broad common name rather than one perfectly standardized grocery variety. The key learner clues are small size and strong heat.
🇲🇽 Pequin Pepper
tiny hot Mexican chile with a sharp, bright heat
Example: A small amount of crushed pequin added a strong chile kick to the oil.
🇫🇷 French: Piment pequin
🇩🇪 German: Pequin-Chili
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperoncino pequin
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta pequin
💡 Nuance: Pequin peppers are tiny but hot. They are related in appearance and culinary use to chiltepin, though chiltepin is rounder and associated with wild populations.
tiny hot Mexican chile with a sharp, bright heat
Example: A small amount of crushed pequin added a strong chile kick to the oil.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Chile piquín / pequín🇫🇷 French: Piment pequin
🇩🇪 German: Pequin-Chili
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperoncino pequin
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta pequin
💡 Nuance: Pequin peppers are tiny but hot. They are related in appearance and culinary use to chiltepin, though chiltepin is rounder and associated with wild populations.
⚪ Chiltepin
tiny round wild chile associated with Mexico and the southwestern United States
Example: The crushed chiltepin produced an immediate sharp burst of heat.
🇫🇷 French: Chiltepin
🇩🇪 German: Chiltepin
🇮🇹 Italian: Chiltepin
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Chiltepin
💡 Nuance: Chiltepin peppers are small and nearly round. Their heat is often described as arriving quickly rather than building as gradually as some larger hot peppers.
tiny round wild chile associated with Mexico and the southwestern United States
Example: The crushed chiltepin produced an immediate sharp burst of heat.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Chiltepín / chile tepín🇫🇷 French: Chiltepin
🇩🇪 German: Chiltepin
🇮🇹 Italian: Chiltepin
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Chiltepin
💡 Nuance: Chiltepin peppers are small and nearly round. Their heat is often described as arriving quickly rather than building as gradually as some larger hot peppers.
👻 Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)
extremely hot chile associated with northeastern India and the superhot category
Example: The sauce used only a tiny amount of ghost pepper because the chile is extremely hot.
🇫🇷 French: Piment fantôme
🇩🇪 German: Geisterchili
🇮🇹 Italian: Ghost pepper
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta-fantasma
💡 Nuance: Ghost pepper belongs to the superhot category. It should not be treated as an ordinary substitute for jalapeño, serrano, or other everyday chiles.
extremely hot chile associated with northeastern India and the superhot category
Example: The sauce used only a tiny amount of ghost pepper because the chile is extremely hot.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Chile fantasma / bhut jolokia🇫🇷 French: Piment fantôme
🇩🇪 German: Geisterchili
🇮🇹 Italian: Ghost pepper
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimenta-fantasma
💡 Nuance: Ghost pepper belongs to the superhot category. It should not be treated as an ordinary substitute for jalapeño, serrano, or other everyday chiles.
👑 Carolina Reaper
extremely hot cultivated chile known for intense heat and a distinctive pointed tail
Example: The hot sauce used Carolina Reaper in very small quantities.
🇫🇷 French: Carolina Reaper
🇩🇪 German: Carolina Reaper
🇮🇹 Italian: Carolina Reaper
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Carolina Reaper
💡 Nuance: The Reaper is another superhot pepper. Its wrinkled surface and pointed tail are useful visual clues, but its extreme heat is the most important practical distinction.
extremely hot cultivated chile known for intense heat and a distinctive pointed tail
Example: The hot sauce used Carolina Reaper in very small quantities.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Carolina Reaper🇫🇷 French: Carolina Reaper
🇩🇪 German: Carolina Reaper
🇮🇹 Italian: Carolina Reaper
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Carolina Reaper
💡 Nuance: The Reaper is another superhot pepper. Its wrinkled surface and pointed tail are useful visual clues, but its extreme heat is the most important practical distinction.
🦂 Trinidad Scorpion
extremely hot Caribbean chile associated with Trinidad and Tobago
Example: The Trinidad Scorpion sauce delivered intense heat from a very small amount of pepper.
🇫🇷 French: Trinidad Scorpion
🇩🇪 German: Trinidad Scorpion
🇮🇹 Italian: Trinidad Scorpion
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Trinidad Scorpion
💡 Nuance: The name scorpion refers to the pointed shape seen on some fruits. It belongs to the same practical superhot category as ghost peppers, Reapers, and 7 Pot peppers.
extremely hot Caribbean chile associated with Trinidad and Tobago
Example: The Trinidad Scorpion sauce delivered intense heat from a very small amount of pepper.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Trinidad Scorpion🇫🇷 French: Trinidad Scorpion
🇩🇪 German: Trinidad Scorpion
🇮🇹 Italian: Trinidad Scorpion
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Trinidad Scorpion
💡 Nuance: The name scorpion refers to the pointed shape seen on some fruits. It belongs to the same practical superhot category as ghost peppers, Reapers, and 7 Pot peppers.
7️⃣ 7 Pot Pepper
family of extremely hot Caribbean chiles associated especially with Trinidad
Example: A very small amount of 7 Pot pepper was enough to make the entire stew extremely hot.
🇫🇷 French: 7 pot
🇩🇪 German: 7 Pot
🇮🇹 Italian: 7 pot
🇵🇹 Portuguese: 7 pot
💡 Nuance: The traditional name suggests that one pepper can season several pots of food. The useful learner point is that 7 Pot peppers belong to the extreme superhot category.
family of extremely hot Caribbean chiles associated especially with Trinidad
Example: A very small amount of 7 Pot pepper was enough to make the entire stew extremely hot.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Chile 7 pot🇫🇷 French: 7 pot
🇩🇪 German: 7 Pot
🇮🇹 Italian: 7 pot
🇵🇹 Portuguese: 7 pot
💡 Nuance: The traditional name suggests that one pepper can season several pots of food. The useful learner point is that 7 Pot peppers belong to the extreme superhot category.
🖤 Rocoto
thick-fleshed South American chile with significant heat and distinctive black seeds
Example: When she cut the rocoto open, the black seeds immediately distinguished it from an ordinary bell pepper.
🇫🇷 French: Rocoto
🇩🇪 German: Rocoto
🇮🇹 Italian: Rocoto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Rocoto
💡 Nuance: Rocotos are unusual because they have thick flesh and dark seeds. Their rounded, apple-like appearance can be misleading because they are genuinely hot.
thick-fleshed South American chile with significant heat and distinctive black seeds
Example: When she cut the rocoto open, the black seeds immediately distinguished it from an ordinary bell pepper.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Rocoto / locoto🇫🇷 French: Rocoto
🇩🇪 German: Rocoto
🇮🇹 Italian: Rocoto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Rocoto
💡 Nuance: Rocotos are unusual because they have thick flesh and dark seeds. Their rounded, apple-like appearance can be misleading because they are genuinely hot.
🍎 Manzano Pepper
thick-fleshed hot chile with black seeds and a rounded apple-like shape
Example: The manzano looked round and fruity, but its black seeds and strong heat gave it away.
🇫🇷 French: Manzano
🇩🇪 German: Manzano
🇮🇹 Italian: Manzano
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Manzano
💡 Nuance: Manzano refers to the apple-like appearance. Manzano peppers are closely related in practical kitchen terms to rocotos: both are thick-fleshed, hot, and notable for black seeds.
thick-fleshed hot chile with black seeds and a rounded apple-like shape
Example: The manzano looked round and fruity, but its black seeds and strong heat gave it away.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Chile manzano🇫🇷 French: Manzano
🇩🇪 German: Manzano
🇮🇹 Italian: Manzano
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Manzano
💡 Nuance: Manzano refers to the apple-like appearance. Manzano peppers are closely related in practical kitchen terms to rocotos: both are thick-fleshed, hot, and notable for black seeds.
🧠 Useful Distinctions
🫑 Bell vs. 🟡 Cubanelle vs. 🍌 Banana vs. 🟨 Hungarian Wax
Bell peppers are blocky, thick-walled, and sweet. Cubanelles are thinner frying peppers. Banana peppers are long, pale, and usually mild, especially when pickled. Hungarian wax peppers can look very similar to banana peppers but are more likely to be noticeably hot.
Bell peppers are blocky, thick-walled, and sweet. Cubanelles are thinner frying peppers. Banana peppers are long, pale, and usually mild, especially when pickled. Hungarian wax peppers can look very similar to banana peppers but are more likely to be noticeably hot.
🌶️ Jalapeño vs. 🟢 Serrano vs. 🔴 Fresno vs. 〰️ Cayenne
Jalapeño is a useful reference point for moderate everyday heat. Serrano is thinner and usually hotter. Fresno often ripens red and has a slightly fruitier character. Cayenne is a long thin hotter chile whose name is especially familiar from ground cayenne powder.
Jalapeño is a useful reference point for moderate everyday heat. Serrano is thinner and usually hotter. Fresno often ripens red and has a slightly fruitier character. Cayenne is a long thin hotter chile whose name is especially familiar from ground cayenne powder.
🟢 Poblano vs. 🟩 Anaheim
Poblanos are wider, darker, and especially familiar for roasting and stuffing. When dried, a poblano is called an ancho. Anaheim peppers are longer and usually milder.
Poblanos are wider, darker, and especially familiar for roasting and stuffing. When dried, a poblano is called an ancho. Anaheim peppers are longer and usually milder.
🇯🇵 Shishito vs. 🇪🇸 Padrón
Both are commonly cooked whole over high heat until blistered and served with salt. Most are mild, but individual peppers can occasionally be hotter than expected.
Both are commonly cooked whole over high heat until blistered and served with salt. Most are mild, but individual peppers can occasionally be hotter than expected.
🧡 Habanero vs. 🇯🇲 Scotch Bonnet vs. 🍫 Chocolate Habanero
All belong to a very hot, fruity group. Habanero is the broad familiar name. Scotch bonnet is especially associated with Caribbean cooking and has a distinctive flattened shape. Chocolate habanero refers to a dark-brown habanero type, not a chocolate-flavored pepper.
All belong to a very hot, fruity group. Habanero is the broad familiar name. Scotch bonnet is especially associated with Caribbean cooking and has a distinctive flattened shape. Chocolate habanero refers to a dark-brown habanero type, not a chocolate-flavored pepper.
🇵🇪 Aji Amarillo vs. 🟤 Aji Panca vs. 🇲🇽 Guajillo
These peppers are valued for flavor as well as heat. Aji amarillo is yellow-orange, fruity, and moderately hot. Aji panca is darker and milder. Guajillo is a Mexican dried red chile with tangy, fruity warmth.
These peppers are valued for flavor as well as heat. Aji amarillo is yellow-orange, fruity, and moderately hot. Aji panca is darker and milder. Guajillo is a Mexican dried red chile with tangy, fruity warmth.
👻 Ghost vs. 👑 Carolina Reaper vs. 🦂 Trinidad Scorpion vs. 7️⃣ 7 Pot
These belong to the superhot category. They are dramatically hotter than jalapeños, serranos, and most ordinary cooking chiles, so recipes use them in much smaller quantities.
These belong to the superhot category. They are dramatically hotter than jalapeños, serranos, and most ordinary cooking chiles, so recipes use them in much smaller quantities.
🖤 Rocoto vs. 🍎 Manzano
Both have thick flesh, genuine heat, and distinctive black seeds. Their rounded apple-like shapes do not mean they are sweet peppers.
Both have thick flesh, genuine heat, and distinctive black seeds. Their rounded apple-like shapes do not mean they are sweet peppers.
💬 Everyday Pepper Phrases
🌶️ I want jalapeño-level heat, not the much stronger heat of a habanero.
asking for moderate rather than very hot chile heat
🇫🇷 Je veux une chaleur du niveau du jalapeño, pas la chaleur beaucoup plus forte d’un habanero.
🇩🇪 Ich möchte Schärfe auf Jalapeño-Niveau, nicht die viel stärkere Schärfe einer Habanero.
🇮🇹 Voglio un piccante da jalapeño, non il piccante molto più forte di un habanero.
🇵🇹 Quero uma ardência no nível do jalapeño, não a ardência muito mais forte de um habanero.
asking for moderate rather than very hot chile heat
Show translations
🇪🇸 Quiero un picante del nivel del jalapeño, no el picante mucho más fuerte de un habanero.🇫🇷 Je veux une chaleur du niveau du jalapeño, pas la chaleur beaucoup plus forte d’un habanero.
🇩🇪 Ich möchte Schärfe auf Jalapeño-Niveau, nicht die viel stärkere Schärfe einer Habanero.
🇮🇹 Voglio un piccante da jalapeño, non il piccante molto più forte di un habanero.
🇵🇹 Quero uma ardência no nível do jalapeño, não a ardência muito mais forte de um habanero.
🎲 Most shishitos are mild, but occasionally one pepper is much hotter than the others.
describing unpredictable heat within one batch
🇫🇷 La plupart des shishitos sont doux, mais il arrive qu’un piment soit beaucoup plus fort que les autres.
🇩🇪 Die meisten Shishitos sind mild, aber gelegentlich ist eine Schote deutlich schärfer als die anderen.
🇮🇹 La maggior parte degli shishito è delicata, ma ogni tanto un peperone è molto più piccante degli altri.
🇵🇹 A maioria dos shishitos é suave, mas às vezes uma pimenta é muito mais ardida que as outras.
describing unpredictable heat within one batch
Show translations
🇪🇸 La mayoría de los shishitos son suaves, pero de vez en cuando uno es mucho más picante que los demás.🇫🇷 La plupart des shishitos sont doux, mais il arrive qu’un piment soit beaucoup plus fort que les autres.
🇩🇪 Die meisten Shishitos sind mild, aber gelegentlich ist eine Schote deutlich schärfer als die anderen.
🇮🇹 La maggior parte degli shishito è delicata, ma ogni tanto un peperone è molto più piccante degli altri.
🇵🇹 A maioria dos shishitos é suave, mas às vezes uma pimenta é muito mais ardida que as outras.
👻 Ghost peppers and Reapers are superhots, so they are used in much smaller amounts than jalapeños.
ordinary cooking chile vs. extreme heat category
🇫🇷 Les piments fantômes et les Reaper sont des superhots, donc on les utilise en quantités beaucoup plus petites que les jalapeños.
🇩🇪 Ghost Peppers und Reaper gehören zu den Superhots und werden deshalb in viel kleineren Mengen verwendet als Jalapeños.
🇮🇹 I ghost pepper e i Reaper sono superhot, quindi si usano in quantità molto più piccole dei jalapeños.
🇵🇹 Ghost peppers e Reapers são superhots, por isso são usados em quantidades muito menores do que jalapeños.
ordinary cooking chile vs. extreme heat category
Show translations
🇪🇸 Los chiles fantasma y los Reaper son superpicantes, así que se usan en cantidades mucho menores que los jalapeños.🇫🇷 Les piments fantômes et les Reaper sont des superhots, donc on les utilise en quantités beaucoup plus petites que les jalapeños.
🇩🇪 Ghost Peppers und Reaper gehören zu den Superhots und werden deshalb in viel kleineren Mengen verwendet als Jalapeños.
🇮🇹 I ghost pepper e i Reaper sono superhot, quindi si usano in quantità molto più piccole dei jalapeños.
🇵🇹 Ghost peppers e Reapers são superhots, por isso são usados em quantidades muito menores do que jalapeños.
🍌 Banana peppers and Hungarian wax peppers can look alike, so check the label before assuming they are mild.
two similar-looking yellow peppers with different heat expectations
🇫🇷 Les piments banane et les piments hongrois peuvent se ressembler, alors vérifiez l’étiquette avant de supposer qu’ils sont doux.
🇩🇪 Banana Peppers und ungarische Wachspaprika können ähnlich aussehen, deshalb sollte man das Etikett prüfen, bevor man annimmt, dass sie mild sind.
🇮🇹 I peperoni banana e i peperoni wax ungheresi possono assomigliarsi, quindi controlla l’etichetta prima di presumere che siano delicati.
🇵🇹 Pimentas banana e pimentas-cera húngaras podem parecer semelhantes, então verifique o rótulo antes de presumir que são suaves.
two similar-looking yellow peppers with different heat expectations
Show translations
🇪🇸 Los pimientos banana y los pimientos cera húngaros pueden parecerse, así que revisa la etiqueta antes de suponer que son suaves.🇫🇷 Les piments banane et les piments hongrois peuvent se ressembler, alors vérifiez l’étiquette avant de supposer qu’ils sont doux.
🇩🇪 Banana Peppers und ungarische Wachspaprika können ähnlich aussehen, deshalb sollte man das Etikett prüfen, bevor man annimmt, dass sie mild sind.
🇮🇹 I peperoni banana e i peperoni wax ungheresi possono assomigliarsi, quindi controlla l’etichetta prima di presumere che siano delicati.
🇵🇹 Pimentas banana e pimentas-cera húngaras podem parecer semelhantes, então verifique o rótulo antes de presumir que são suaves.
🏆 Final Practice
English in the Real World:
Imagine you are shopping for peppers, ordering salsa, or following a recipe. Choose the pepper word that best fits each situation.
Imagine you are shopping for peppers, ordering salsa, or following a recipe. Choose the pepper word that best fits each situation.
Question 1 of 8
✅ Correct: 0
❓ Questions: 0
🎯 Accuracy: 0%