Aji Jobito

Sweet, rich and complex with tropical fruit and dark-brown-sugar notes, a light chinense fragrance, and a nutty aftertaste reminiscent of almonds or Brazil nuts; virtually no heat.

Aji Jobito is a rare Venezuelan Capsicum chinense landrace that produces small oval to slightly rounded pods typically 3–5 cm long. Fruits ripen from light green to bright yellow or orange and have smooth, thick walls. The flavor is exceptionally rich and complex for a near-heatless chinense: sweet with tropical-fruit and brown-sugar notes, a subtle classic chinense aroma, and a pleasant nutty aftertaste. Plants are productive, relatively compact to medium-sized, and often long-lived when overwintered.

This landrace originates in Sucre state, eastern Venezuela, first cultivated around Marigüitar near the Cariaco Gulf and now mainly grown in Cumanacoa near Cumaná. It is named for its resemblance in shape and color to the Jobo fruit (Spondias mombin). Seeds were introduced to international growers by Lindberg Figueroa of Cumaná and further distributed by Joe Delaney. In 2026 the first Asociación de Ají Jobito de Venezuela was formed in Sucre to protect its genetics and promote production. Local chefs such as Pedro Castillo have championed it as a signature ingredient of Cumaná cuisine.