Peruvian Ají Foodways

Ají

Specialised

Capsicum was domesticated in South America and the Peruvian kitchen is built on its varieties rather than on generic heat: AJÍ AMARILLO, actually orange, fruity and the backbone of the coastal repertoire; AJÍ PANCA, dark red, dried, mild and smoky; AJÍ LIMO and AJÍ CHARAPITA, hot, for ceviche and the Amazon; ROCOTO, thick-walled and genuinely hot, stuffed in Arequipa; and ají mirasol, which is dried amarillo.