Is aji, a peruvian pepper, the same as a serrano? If not, what is it?!
Is aji, a peruvian pepper, the same as a serrano? If not, what is it?
I have a recipe for a dish that calls for aji. The more I look into it it seems that aji is the same as a serrano. At least they look the same. Can anybody help?
Additional Details2 weeks ago
I looked into it a little more and it looks like aji is a type of yellow pepper? More help
2 weeks ago
Thank you for all of your answers they are all great! I would like to give you all a huge thumbs up. P.S. I must apologize for whoever put thumbs down on all the answers. I assure it was not me. I wish those who write the questions had more control over the ratings.
Answers:
2 weeks ago
I looked into it a little more and it looks like aji is a type of yellow pepper? More help
2 weeks ago
Thank you for all of your answers they are all great! I would like to give you all a huge thumbs up. P.S. I must apologize for whoever put thumbs down on all the answers. I assure it was not me. I wish those who write the questions had more control over the ratings.
Aji is a word that comes from the Quechua language, which is the language of the Inkas. It is a general term in Peru for chiles, but there isn't a chile grown in North America that has the same taste. Does the recipe call for aji amarillo or aji panca? Both can be found at Peruvian specialty food stores, and I've also found them in some of the larger Mexican food stores. In the USA, it is usually sold under the Amazonas label.
Source(s):
Additional opinion - the thumbs down are probably from some xenophobe with an unnatural fear of anything not from the USA.
garlic
This can get confusing: 'aji' is frequently used as a generic term for 'hot pepper' in South America, however the ajis that form the heart of South Am. culinary use are all members of the Capsicum baccatum group of chiles, and there are hundreds upon hundreds of varieties spread over numerous countries. The 'baccatum' ajis are prized for their specific aromatics additional to their heat, their citrus notes in particular.
Ajis can be just about any colour the genus Capsicum is capable of: white, yellow, orange, brown, red and actually multi-coloured, the purple hue being the only one rather less frequently found.
The serrano chile, on the other hand, is a medium to medium-high pungency Mexican chile from the Capsicum annuum group with few or no culinary characteristics in common with the C. bacccatum ajis beyond heat.
Hope this helps.
Ps. If you need more detail on these ajis etc, drop me a line in my mail box.
They are not the same.
Serrano peppers are of medium head (3/10 heat rating.)
Aji peppers are very similar to Cayenne peppers with a 5/10 heat rating.
If you cannot find an Aji, I would use a Cayenne...not a Serrano.
Rocoto peppers also share the same heat scale as the Aji and Cayenne; but have black-seeds, therefore a longer heat sensation. They are also a Peruvian pepper.
Hope this helped!
most of the time when a peruvian recipe calls for aji, they mean a yellow pepper. it's not the same as a serrano... I find that serranos have more heat than flavor. Peruvian yellow peppers have heat to them, but seem to have a good flavor as well. When I cook peruvian food I use the powdered form or the paste. Aji panca is peruvian chipotle, basically. They take the yellow pepper and roast it... like mexicans do with jalapenos. I use aji panca when I make anticuchos.
go to: www.labodegaperuana.com
they have all sorts of peruvian produce at very reasonable prices!