Chile de Onza

Description

A rarely offered Mexican variety that ripens through dark green into a deep chocolate brown, going almost black on plants that get full sun. The pods are broad and roughly heart-shaped, around 5 × 5 cm, with very thin walls and a hollow interior — they weigh almost nothing in the hand and dry down easily, often right on the plant.

The heat stays modest and well in the background, with the occasional pod that bites a little harder than its neighbours. The reason to grow it is the flavour: dried and ground, it turns dark and rich with a distinct roasted-coffee note, which is exactly what makes it at home in mole and in slow-cooked sauces. Fresh pods work well in salsas, and the thin flesh means a harvest becomes brown chili powder with very little effort.

Plants stay compact and bushy at around 70 cm, set a heavy crop and finish in roughly 80 days, so a pot or a greenhouse bed is enough for a full season. Seeds of this one are hard to come by.

Some chilies are worth tasting before you grow them. → Explore the Vault

Each pack contains approximately 8–10 or more seeds per variety.
Seeds are packaged in a certified EU seed packaging facility in accordance with applicable regulations.

Categories: Chili Seeds , C. annuum , Mild , Easy to grow