# Brazilian Starfish Pepper

Also known as Aji Brazilian Starfish, Pitanga Pepper, Brazilian Starfish Aji.
Species: Capsicum baccatum.

Brazilian Starfish Pepper is a Capsicum baccatum cultivar from South America, Brazil. Capsi’s sourced range is 29,997 SHU (Lab-verified). Flavor is sweet, fruity, floral. Used for raw in salads and salsas, pickling, cooking in stir-fries, soups, and rice dishes, drying for flavorful powder. Heat is a range, not a single marketing number.

## Heat sources

- 29,997 SHU · Lab-verified
  Malak Alghamdi, Thirumurugan Rathinasabapathy, Slavko Komarnytsky (2025) Int. J. Mol. Sci. · HPLC
  DOI: 10.3390/ijms26104916
  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26104916

- 10,000–30,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
  https://www.rareseeds.com/pepper-hot-brazilian-starfish

- 5,000–30,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  HRSeeds
  https://www.hrseeds.com/product-page/brazilian-starfish-pepper

- 20,000–40,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Texas Hot Peppers
  https://texashotpeppers.net/products/brazilian-starfish-1

- 15,000–30,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Victorian Nursery
  https://victoriananursery.co.uk/Chilli-Pepper-Seed-Brazilian-Starfish/

- 10,000–30,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Ujamaa Seeds
  https://ujamaaseeds.com/products/brazilian-starfish-pepper-hot

- 5,000–30,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Pepper Joe's
  https://pepperjoe.com/products/brazilian-starfish-pepper-seeds

## Heritage

Nothing reputable documents a pedigree for this pepper.

## Page sources

- [Alghamdi et al. 2025 HPLC pungency table, Brazilian Starfish row](https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/26/10/4916)
- [Baker Creek listing: fruit, habit, days, and heat band](https://www.rareseeds.com/pepper-hot-brazilian-starfish)
- [Pepper Geek grow-out: size, plant height, yellow strain notes](https://peppergeek.com/brazilian-starfish-peppers/)
- [Ujamaa Seeds origin notes, size, and flavor](https://ujamaaseeds.com/products/brazilian-starfish-pepper-hot)
- [PepperScale flavor notes, including apple undertones](https://pepperscale.com/brazilian-starfish-pepper/)
- [Chicago Botanic Garden plant finder: species, flower, habit](https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plant-information/plant-finder/capsicum-baccatum-brazilian-starfish-brazilian-starfish-aji-pepper)

## FAQ
### How hot is Brazilian Starfish Pepper?

Capsi’s sourced range is 29,997 SHU (Lab-verified). 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 Brazilian Starfish Pepper taste like?

Sweet and fruity with complex floral undertones, crisp juicy texture, and a slow-building medium heat.

### How do I grow Brazilian Starfish Pepper?

Brazilian Starfish Pepper: about 90 days to maturity, subtropical climate, full sun, hardiness zones 9-11.

### What can I substitute for Brazilian Starfish Pepper?

serrano pepper, jalapeño for milder heat, aji amarillo for similar baccatum flavor, Serrano, Jalapeño, Ají Amarillo

Page: https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/brazilian-starfish-pepper
Catalog: https://web.thecapsi.app/data