Aji Guyana
Also known as Aji Guayana · Guyana Yellow Chili · Little Bird of Guyana · Guyana
Aji Guyana is a Capsicum baccatum cultivar from Guyana. Capsi’s sourced range is 1,177–100,000 SHU (Vendor Claim). Flavor is citrus, fruity, tangy, sweet. Used for fresh salsas, hot sauces, ceviche-style dressings, roasting, pickling. Heat is a range, not a single marketing number.
A productive Capsicum baccatum landrace from Guyana with long golden-yellow pods, citrus-bright flavor, and approachable medium heat around 10,000 SHU.
About 1/3.2 the typical heat of a Capsi Jalapeño (31,902 SHU).
Growing
~90 days to maturity
Fruit size
12–20 cm
Flavor & Use
Crisp and juicy with a bright citrus-tangerine note, light sweetness, and a clean tang typical of Capsicum baccatum. Heat is a lingering medium burn rather than a sharp spike.
Culinary
About
Aji Guyana is a traditional Capsicum baccatum from Guyana, grown for long pendant pods that ripen from green to a deep golden yellow. Plants are tall and vigorous, often 90–150 cm, and set fruit heavily enough that staking is recommended. Pods typically run 12–20 cm long and about 2–2.5 cm wide, with crisp, juicy walls and a pointed, sometimes slightly curved shape. Heat sits in the medium range, commonly listed at 5,000–15,000 Scoville Heat Units. Flavor is the classic baccatum mix of citrus, light sweetness, and clean tang—growers often note tangerine or sweet-apple tones. The variety is used fresh in salsas and sauces, roasted or pickled, and dried into bright yellow flakes or powder.
Backstory
Aji Guyana is a Guyanese landrace of Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum, not a named modern hybrid. USDA received accession PI 199506 in 1952 from a New York donor as Bird's Eye seed originally from British Guiana; GRIN now treats it as Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum from Guyana, and seed catalogs circulate the same elongated yellow type as Aji Guyana, Guyana Yellow Chili, or Little Bird of Guyana. It is distinct from wiri wiri, the small round pepper used in Guyanese pepperpot. No individual breeder is documented.
Appearance
Growing
Heritage
Nothing reputable documents a pedigree for this pepper.
Sources
Heat figures in Capsi are tied to a source and a trust tier. How we verify heat
- 30,000–50,000 SHU · Vendor ClaimSoosikauppa
- 5,000–15,000 SHU · Vendor ClaimHillywood Chillies
- 5,000–15,000 SHU · Vendor ClaimHillywood Chillies
- 5,000–15,000 SHU · Vendor ClaimPremier Seeds Direct
- 8,000–15,000 SHU · Vendor ClaimCHILLIHEAD
- 10,000 SHU · Vendor ClaimHillywood Chillies
- 10,000–30,000 SHU · Vendor ClaimHillywood Chillies
- 30,000–60,000 SHU · Vendor ClaimHeritage Cottage Seeds
- 50,000–100,000 SHU · Vendor ClaimGaia Organics
- 1,177–75,000 SHU · Vendor Claim(2020) Renaissance Farms
- Species, Guyana origin, Little Bird of Guyana synonym, 5,000–15,000 SHU, size and flavor notes.bohicapepperhut.com
- Origin, Guyana Yellow Chili name, 5,000–15,000 SHU, green to yellow/orange ripening, pod size.hillywoodchillies.com
- Growing spec sheet: days, plant size, pod size, ripening sequence, mid-range heat, culinary uses.pepperseeds.net
- Guyana origin, 14–20 cm golden-yellow pods, plant height, 90–100 days from transplant, culinary uses.livingseeds.co.za
- Plant habit, green-to-brilliant-yellow ripening, 8,000–15,000 SHU, citrus and sweet-apple flavor.chillihead.co.za
- Guyana origin, 5,000–15,000 SHU, 12 × 2 cm yellow pods, tall productive habit, pickling and sauce uses.thehippyseedcompany.com
- USDA NPGS accession PI 199506: Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum, plant name 1SCA, Guyana origin.npgsweb.ars-grin.gov
- USDA Plant Inventory No. 160 (1952): PI 199506 received 5 March 1952 from Mrs. James W. Winfield, Painted Post, N.Y., as Bird's Eye originally from British Guiana, originally filed as Capsicum frutescens.archive.org
Last updated 19 Sep 2026 at 19:46
FAQ
- How hot is Aji Guyana?
- Capsi’s sourced range is 1,177–100,000 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 Aji Guyana taste like?
- Crisp and juicy with a bright citrus-tangerine note, light sweetness, and a clean tang typical of Capsicum baccatum. Heat is a lingering medium burn rather than a sharp spike.
- How do I grow Aji Guyana?
- Aji Guyana: about 90 days to maturity, tropical climate, full sun, hardiness zones 9-11.
- What can I substitute for Aji Guyana?
- Capsi does not have that recorded yet.