Fish Pepper

Fish pepper is a rare African-American heirloom Capsicum annuum variety dating to at least the early 1800s, believed to have arrived in the Chesapeake Bay region via the Caribbean. The plants are visually striking, bearing variegated cream-and-green foliage and small striped fruits that ripen from cream with dark stripes to solid red. Historically cultivated and used by Black cooks in Baltimore and Philadelphia seafood houses for cream sauces served with oysters, crabs, and fish, the variety was nearly lost before being rescued from a family freezer by food historian William Woys Weaver and later shared through Seed Savers Exchange.

Days to maturity

80–85 days from transplant

Plant height

60 cm (approx. 2 ft)

Best use

Seafood dishes, cream sauces

Species

Capsicum annuum

Origin

African-American communities, Chesapeake Bay region, USA