# Mareko Fana

Also known as Ethiopian Brown, Ethiopian Brown Chile, Ethiopian Berbere, Marako Fana, Marko Fana.
Species: Capsicum annuum.

Mareko Fana is a Capsicum annuum selection from Mareko, Ethiopia. Capsi’s sourced range is 10,000–45,000 SHU (Vendor Claim). Flavor is earthy, smoky, cocoa. Used for Dried and ground for berbere, wot stews, lentils, and meat sauces. Also used fresh. Ethiopian processors extract oleoresin from this cultivar.. Heat is a range, not a single marketing number.

## Heat sources

- 10,000–39,999 SHU · Vendor Claim
  (2023) Ohio Peppers
  https://ohiopeppers.com/product/mareko-fana/

- 10,500–45,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  HRSeeds
  https://www.hrseeds.com/product-page/ethiopian-brown-berbere-pepper

- 36,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Reimer Seeds
  https://www.reimerseeds.com/ethiopian-brown-pepper-seeds

## Heritage

Selection

Mareko Fana is a selection of Mareko local chile.

Credit: Melkassa Agricultural Research Center · 1976

Parent:
- Mareko local chile (Not a named variety)

Melkassa released this as a mass selection from Mareko-district locals around 1976. Hailu 2015 and MARC-linked papers name no hybrid parents. US catalogs credit Fana Woldegiorgis; that selector is not independently documented outside the seed-trade paragraph.

## Page sources

- [US catalog listing with Mareko provenance, brown-fruit selection, aliases, and days to maturity.](https://trueloveseeds.com/products/mareko-fana-berbere-pepper)
- [Vendor listing with named-cultivar SHU band, pod size, and berbere use.](https://ohiopeppers.com/product/mareko-fana/)
- [Hailu, Abera, and Daksa 2015. Mass selection origin, dark-red pods, oleoresin factory use. DOI 10.4236/ajps.2015.69143.](https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=57216)
- [Getahun et al. 2020. Heliyon. Green, brown, and red maturity stages of Mareko Fana. DOI 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04608.](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7408329/)
- [Kinfe Esayas 2009 Addis Ababa University thesis. Capsaicinoid and composition data for Marako fana.](https://etd.aau.edu.et/items/7c33148b-2c4f-48f9-af7f-8cd2b815a722/full)
- [Open-pollinated listing with pod size, brown-seed keeping, and Menkir Tamrat introduction chain.](https://beneseeds.com/products/mareko-fana-peppers-op-20-seeds)
- [Haramaya 32nd research proceedings. Release year 1976 and oleoresin export use.](https://www.haramaya.edu.et/research/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/32nd-proceeding-theme-1.pdf)

## FAQ
### How hot is Mareko Fana?

Capsi’s sourced range is 10,000–45,000 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 Mareko Fana taste like?

Earthy and a little smoky when ripe, with a short, usable burn. Dried pods lean cocoa and warm spice rather than bright fruit.

### How do I grow Mareko Fana?

Mareko Fana: about 90 days to maturity, subtropical climate, full sun, hardiness zones 9-11.

### What can I substitute for Mareko Fana?

Cayenne

Page: https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/mareko-fana
Catalog: https://web.thecapsi.app/data