Fresno

Pointed, tapering from broadish shoulders, this medium-short pepper is about the same size as the more familiar jalapeño. Lightish green, like the Anaheim, or cherry-red when mature, it looks very like the Santa Fe Grande, but unlike it, does not turn yellow or orange, going directly from green to red as it matures.

As hot as a jalapeño, the Fresno is best used as seasoning rather than a vegetable, in sauces (cooked and raw), or minced sparingly in dips and salads (such as guacamole). I like the sweetness of the ripe chili, very finely chopped, for a piquant garnish on cooked vegetables (hot or marinated), particularly the Latin starchy vegetables, such as yuca, malanga, yam, or plantain.