Cayenne Thick

Bright, earthy chili flavor with clean upfront heat and a touch of sweetness; less smoky than chipotle and more neutral than many specialty chiles, making it versatile for adding pure heat.

Cayenne Thick (also sold as Large Red Thick or Long Red Thick) is an open-pollinated Capsicum annuum selection prized for pods that are noticeably wider and fleshier than the classic slender cayenne. Fruits typically measure 13–18 cm long by 3–4 cm at the shoulder, start dark green and ripen to a brilliant deep red, and carry wrinkled skin over medium-to-thick walls. Heat falls in the classic cayenne band of 30 000–50 000 Scoville Heat Units. Plants grow 45–90 cm tall, set fruit in concentrated flushes, and are well suited to fresh eating, drying into powder or flakes, pickling, and sauce-making. The thicker flesh holds up better in cooking than thin-walled cayennes.

Cayenne-type peppers were cultivated by indigenous peoples of the Guianas for thousands of years and reached Europe after Columbus’s voyages; the name derives from the city of Cayenne in French Guiana (or from a Tupi word for capsicum). The Thick / Large Red Thick selection is a longstanding open-pollinated heirloom chosen for larger, meatier pods than the traditional Long Slim cayenne. It has served as a parent in modern breeding, including the NuMex Las Cruces cayenne developed at New Mexico State University.