aji pepper

The origin of C. chinense is not an easy matter to settle. However, several reports by McLeod, Pickersgill, and Eshbaugh put its center of origin in the tropical northern Amazon, ranging from Southern Brazil to Bolivia (Eshbaugh, W.H.1993. History and Exploitation of a serendipitous new crop discovery. p. 132-139. In: J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds), New Crops. Wiley, New York). Later on, it migrated to the Caribbean basin and Cuba originating the term Habanero, meaning from Habana (Havana, Cuba), where several peppers of this species were exported out from this port. (Despite the name, habaneros and other spicy-hot ingredients are rarely ever used in traditional Cuban cooking.) In warm climates such as these, it is a perennial and can last for several years, but in cooler climates, C. chinense does not usually survive the winter. It will readily germinate from the previous year's seed in the following growing season, however.

C. chinense and its varieties have been used for millennia in Yucatán and Caribbean-style cooking to add a significant amount of heat to their traditional food. They are mainly used in stews and sauces, as well as marinades for meats and chicken. American food at times also uses some of these chiles. For example, habaneros (a group of C. chinense varieties) are commonly used in hot sauces and extra-spicy salsas, due to the popularity of Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisines in American culture.

Seeds of C. chinense have been found in cave dwellings in Central America that indicate the natives have been consuming peppers since 7,000 B.C. In Eastern Mexico, dry pepper fruits and seeds have been recovered from 9,000 years old burials in Tamaulipas and Tehuacán, further indicating their use since 7,000 B.C. Domestication might have taken place 10,000 to 12,000 years ago in Central–East Mexico. C. chinense peppers have been cultivated for thousands of years in their native regions, but have only been available in areas outside of the Americas for about 400–500 years following the Columbian Exchange. Selection in the new environments have led to the rise of new varieties that are bred and farmed in Asia and Africa. C. chinense are also popular with many gardeners for their bright colors (ornamental value) and for their fruit.