AjÃÂ dulce, ajÃÂ cachucha, quechucha, ajicito, or ajÃÂ gustoso is any of a variety of sweet perennial peppers found in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is most widely known in Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Venezuela, where it refers to a specific native variety of Capsicum chinense that is related to the habanero but with a much milder, smoky flavor. In the English-speaking Caribbean, it is known as seasoning pepper and is essential to a variety of traditional dishes.
In South American Spanish, ajÃÂ means 'chili pepper' and dulce [] means 'sweet', so the name translates to 'sweet chili pepper'. Cachucha is the Latin American Spanish word for 'cap', so ajÃÂ cachucha means 'cap chili pepper' and refers to its cap-like shape. Gustoso means 'tasty', so ajÃÂ gustoso translates to 'tasty chili pepper'. Ajicito is the diminutive of ajÃÂ and translates to 'little chili pepper'.
In Venezuelan cuisine, ajàdulce is a key ingredient in many traditional dishes, like the national dish pabellón criollo. The Venezuelan ajàdulce is classified as non pungent, between 100 and 500 in the Scoville scale.
In the Dominican Republic it is known as "aji gustoso". In Cuba, it is known as ajÃÂ Cachucha.
In Puerto Rico where it is called ajàdulce or ajicito, it is grown commercially and used for sauces, such as recaÃÂto, sofrito, and mojito isleño, other fish or meat sauces, as well as stews, rice, and other local dishes.