Cap 1445

Species: Capsicum chacoense | Origin: Bolivia | Pungency: Hot

Cap 1445 belongs to the Capsicum chacoense species and is a wild variety from the Gran Chaco region of Eastern Bolivia. With an approximate area of 250,000 square miles, the Gran Chaco, also known as Dry Chaco, is a sparsely populated area divided among Northern Argentina, Eastern Bolivia, Western Paraguay and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. The plants grow to about one meter in height and have a somewhat untidy vine-like growth habit. They can be quite delicate for the first few months but eventually become stronger over time. The leaves are grey-green in colour and the stems are green in colour with dark purple veins. The small, white, five-petalled flowers (one per node) have yellow anthers and long calyx teeth (from six to eight), and immature fruits may develop a black anthocyanin cover if the plants are exposed to strong sun. The plants produce average yields of small, ovoid-shaped chillies which start green and ripen through dirty green, several shades of orange and then to deep orange-red.

The initial flavour of immature fruit is somewhat smoky, but once fully ripe it becomes almost nutty with a slightly sourish undertone, which isn't unpleasant. When fully ripe the fruit turns soft and falls away from the calyx very easily (deciduous). Chillies belonging to the Capsicum chacoense species are sometimes harvested from the wild and occasionally cultivated in gardens. Cap 1445 chillies have a pleasant flavour and work particularly well with cheese. They also dry very easily and can make for an interesting addition to the pepper grinder!

The plant shown below was grown outdoors and unfortunately met with a nasty accident in early spring when half of it was snapped off during strong wind. Even then, it still went on to produce a reasonable amount of chillies. However, had it not have been for the damage the yield would have obviously been double the size. The birds also ate more than their fair share of ripe fruit!

Page published on: 3rd November 2019