Banana Pepper
Also known as Hungarian Banana Pepper · Sweet Banana Pepper · Yellow Wax Pepper · Banana Chile
The Banana pepper (also known as Hungarian Banana or Sweet Banana pepper) is a mild, sweet, tangy chili famous for its long, curved, banana-like shape and bright yellow color at the usual harvest stage. It is a staple in pickling, sandwiches, pizzas, and salads thanks to its crisp texture and gentle flavor.
About 1/224 the typical heat of a Capsi Jalapeño (25,086 SHU).
Growing
~72 days to maturity
Fruit size
10–20 cm
Flavor & Use
Sweet and tangy with a mild peppery finish and crisp, juicy texture. The flavor is brighter and slightly more acidic than a bell pepper, making it excellent for fresh eating or pickling.
Culinary
About
Banana peppers are elongated, curved fruits (4–8 inches / 10–20 cm long) with smooth, waxy skin. They are usually harvested yellow-green to bright yellow; if left on the plant they ripen to orange or bright red. The flesh is thick, crisp, and juicy with very low heat. Plants are productive and grow 2–3 ft tall.
Backstory
Banana peppers trace their ancestry to the Capsicum annuum varieties brought from the Americas to Europe during the Columbian Exchange. They were refined in Hungary and other parts of Central and Eastern Europe into the long, sweet, curved form sold today. The name comes from that banana-like shape and the bright yellow color of fruit picked for pickling. Corneli Seed Company released the named Sweet Banana cultivar from its St. Louis breeding farm in 1941, and it won that year's All-America Selections Bronze Medal. In the United States the type became a pickled condiment and pizza topping, especially in Italian-American and deli cooking, and it remains a widely grown mild pepper for home gardens and commercial packing.
Appearance
Growing
Heritage
ExploreBanana Pepper is a selection of an existing type. The parent isn't linked in Capsi yet.
Corneli Seed Company · 1941
Parent
Sources
FAQ
- How hot is Banana Pepper?
- Capsi’s sourced range is 28–195 SHU (Lab-verified; typical 112). 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 Banana Pepper taste like?
- Sweet and tangy with a mild peppery finish and crisp, juicy texture. The flavor is brighter and slightly more acidic than a bell pepper, making it excellent for fresh eating or pickling.
- How do I grow Banana Pepper?
- Banana Pepper: about 72 days to maturity, warm temperate/subtropical climate, full sun, hardiness zones 9-11.
- What can I substitute for Banana Pepper?
- mild Hungarian wax pepper, pepperoncini (for tangier flavor), Cubanelle