Ají amarillo (Spanish for "yellow chili"), also called ají escabeche, is a variety of chili pepper of the species Capsicum baccatum grown in Peru. Despite the name, the fruit ripens to a deep golden-orange. It is one of the most important ingredients in Peruvian cuisine, and in its dried form it is known as ají mirasol.
Description The pods are elongated and tapering, ripening from green to a bright golden-orange. Ají amarillo has a fruity flavour that is often compared to passion fruit and mango, with a moderate heat of roughly 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units, comparable to a serrano pepper. When the fresh pods are dried, usually in the sun, they are called ají mirasol, which has a more concentrated, raisin-like sweetness used in slow-cooked dishes.
Culinary use Ají amarillo is regarded as one of the most important ingredients in Peruvian cooking; together with garlic and red onion it is sometimes described as part of a "holy trinity" of Peruvian flavour. It gives many national dishes their characteristic colour and taste, among them ají de gallina, papa a la Huancaína and lomo saltado.
Recognition In January 2025 the spice company McCormick named ají amarillo its "Flavor of the Year", citing growing interest in Peruvian flavours beyond their traditional cuisine.
References