# Ají Caballero

Also known as Gentleman Pepper, Puerto Rican Jelly Bean Hot Chili Pepper, Caballero hot chili peppers.
Species: Capsicum frutescens.

Ají Caballero is a Capsicum frutescens landrace from Caribbean, Puerto Rico. Capsi’s sourced range is 30,000–35,000 SHU (Vendor Claim). Flavor is solid, hot and spicy flavor similar to Tabasco. Used for Pique sauce, hot sauces, pepper flakes. Heat is a range, not a single marketing number.

## Heat sources

- 30,000–35,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Chilis of the Caribbean
  https://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/cp_caribz.html

## Heritage

Landrace

Ají Caballero is a traditional landrace.

Puerto Rico flora and UMass Extension treat Ají Caballero as the island’s traditional C. frutescens pique pepper, with no named parents. Catalogs sell the same open-pollinated Puerto Rican type; the folk name is also used there for a wild bird pepper.

## Page sources

- [Wikipedia entry on the Ají caballero pepper, its Puerto Rican uses, and botanical notes.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aj%C3%AD_caballero)
- [Reimer Seeds catalog with detailed plant, pepper, and growing characteristics.](https://www.reimerseeds.com/aji-caballero-pepper-seeds)
- [WorldCrops profile by Frank Mangan on Ají caballero and its role in Puerto Rican cuisine.](https://worldcrops.org/crops/aj%C3%AD-caballero.html)
- [Clovegarden article on Caribbean chilis listing Ají Caballero Scoville rating and traditional uses.](https://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/cp_caribz.html)
- [Tradewinds Fruit catalog entry for Ají Caballero (Gentleman Pepper / Puerto Rican Jelly Bean), noting upright pods, Tabasco-type similarity, and Puerto Rican origin.](https://www.tradewindsfruit.com/aji-caballero-pepper-seeds)

## FAQ
### How hot is Ají Caballero?

Capsi’s sourced range is 30,000–35,000 SHU (Vendor Claim). Capsi uses a sourced range and a trust tier, not a single marketing number. How we verify heat: https://web.thecapsi.app/learn/heat-and-capsaicin/how-we-measure-heat

### What does Ají Caballero taste like?

Has a solid, hot and spicy flavor. The variety is more similar to a Tabasco type than classic South American Aji types.

### How do I grow Ají Caballero?

Ají Caballero: about 90 days to maturity, tropical climate, full sun, hardiness zones 9-11.

### What can I substitute for Ají Caballero?

Tabasco pepper, Thai chili

Page: https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/aji-caballero
Catalog: https://web.thecapsi.app/data