Dried Aji Mirasol Peppers
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Ají Mirasol varies in size and shape, depending on growing conditions and the drying process, and generally averages 12 to 15 centimeters in length and 2 to 3.5 centimeters in diameter. The dried pods are sold whole or sliced into strips, creating market variation. When fresh, the peppers exhibit a slightly curved or straight shape and are typically elongated with a conical, tapered nature. Once dried, the surface becomes firm, leathery, crinkled, and textured, exhibiting shallow indentations across the surface. Ají Mirasol is derived from a species that ripens from green to shades of yellow, yellow-orange, to bright orange. They develop a dark orange, red, and brown hue as they are dried in the sun. The dried flesh showcases a striated appearance, and the flesh matches the pod’s exterior burnt orange, red, and brown shades. Whole, dried pods will envelop a central hollow cavity filled with tiny, round, flat, cream-colored seeds and shriveled membranes. Sliced versions will typically have the membranes and seeds removed to reduce spiciness. Select Ají Mirasol pods that are firm to the touch and completely dehydrated. There should be no soft spots or signs of moisture. Ají Mirasol is always found dried and is edible rehydrated or ground into a powder and used as a flavoring in culinary dishes. The peppers release a fruity, vegetal, and earthy scent with apricot and raisin-like nuances and have a fruit, subtly sweet, and smokey taste combined with a moderate heat. Ají Mirasol typically has a more concentrated taste compared to its fresh counterparts.
Seasons/Availability
Ají Mirasol is available year-round.
Current Facts
Ají Mirasol, botanically classified as Capsicum baccatum, is the name for the dried version of a South American pepper belonging to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Peppers are a foundational flavoring in South American cuisine and have been growing wild since ancient times. There are many different types of peppers used for medicinal and culinary preparations throughout South America, and one of the most famous culinary peppers in Peru is Ají Mirasol, sometimes known as Cusqueno. Fresh versions of Ají Mirasol are known as Ají Amarillo. The variety ranges from 30,000 to 50,000 SHU on the Scoville scale and is regarded as a moderately hot pepper. Ají Amarillo, used fresh, is a beloved flavoring in Peruvian gastronomy, but the dried versions of these peppers have become a valued staple for their extended storage properties and rich taste. Indigenous people groups dried Ají Amarillo in the sun until the pods became firm and dehydrated. The dried versions were called Mirasol, roughly translating to mean “looking or facing the sun,” a name given for their preservation method. Ají Mirasol has become a stand-alone culinary ingredient distinguished from its fresh counterpart as it develops a more concentrated, deep flavor. The peppers have also remained a treasured flavoring in traditional recipes and are evolving with changing tastes into contemporary recipes. Though Ají Mirasol is still primarily used in Peru and neighboring countries, dried peppers are increasing in popularity worldwide as a unique flavoring in savory culinary preparations. The peppers are cultivated for domestic use and international export and are promoted for their fruity flavor, aroma, and heat.
Nutritional Value
Ají Mirasol has not been extensively studied for its nutritional properties. The pods are the dried version of Ají Amarillo, which has been found to contain vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, vitamin A to maintain healthy organs, and iron to develop the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream. Peppers, in general, also provide potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, magnesium to control nerve functions, calcium to build strong bones and teeth, and other nutrients, including flavonoids, thiamine, niacin, and vitamin B6. In natural medicines prepared in Peru, Ají Mirasol is sometimes rubbed on gums to lessen toothaches and is used to reduce headaches and altitude sickness. The peppers contain capsaicin, a chemical compound that triggers the body to feel the sensation of pain or heat. Capsaicin is thought to stimulate the body and help alleviate digestive problems.
Applications
Ají Mirasol has a subtly sweet, earthy, fruity, and smokey taste suited for raw or cooked preparations. The variety is popularly rehydrated and blended into a paste, dried and ground into a powder, or kept in a larger flake form. Ají Mirasol is known for having a more concentrated flavor than fresh Ají Amarillo, and the paste-like form of the variety is mixed into soups, stews, sauces, hot sauces, and marinades. To rehydrate, the peppers should be soaked in warm water to soften. Chapi, huallpa chupe, and carapulcra are traditional soups and stews in Peru that incorporate dried peppers. Ají criollo is also a standard sauce prepared as a condiment for everyday meals. Ají Mirasol paste can be used in various salsas, including the salsa in ocopa, a traditional Peruvian dish. Ocopa is known for its aromatic green sauce filled with the flavors from Huacatay and Ají Mirasol and is poured over boiled potatoes. The sauce can also be used in other recipes as a flavoring for fried yucca, grain bowls, or roasted meats. In Peru, Ají Mirasol is famously used as a base flavor in causa rellena, a layered mashed potato and vegetable dish, aji de gallina, a comforting and hearty chicken stew, or rocoto relleno, a meal comprised of ground meat and spices stuffed into peppers and coated in a chili sauce. Ají Mirasol is also used in Peru to flavor ceviche, the country’s national dish. The peppers add heat and fruity flavors to the liquid in the dish, nicknamed “tiger’s milk” in Peru. Tiger’s milk is often drunk from the bowl after ceviche is finished or saved for cocktails, and the peppers add a refreshing zing. Ají Mirasol has been used for centuries in Peruvian cooking, and the pods are often used as a flavoring in lomo saltado, a Peruvian-Chinese fusion dish, tacu tacu, papa a la huancaina, and tiradito. In the Amazon, dried peppers are prepared in asado de picuro, a dish comprised of a locally treasure rodent species called a picuro, meaning paca in English. The peppers add aroma and flavor to the dish and are customarily used in the marinade. Outside of Peru, Ají Mirasol is used in a Chilean dish called risotto de quinoa, as a salsa for seafood, stuffed into empanadas and tamales, or infused into mole amarillo, a sauce from Oaxaca, Mexico. This sauce is simmered until thick and is served with hearty vegetables and meats. Ají Mirasol pairs well with meats such as poultry, beef, and pork, seafood including scallops, fish, prawns, and shrimp, legumes, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, herbs including huacatay, parsley, and cilantro, and rice. The peppers will keep for 1 to 2 years when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place in a sealed container away from direct sunlight.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Ají Mirasol is notably used in culinary preparations, but it is also included in beverages to add intensity and spice. One of the most famous cocktails in Peru, the pisco sour, incorporates the moderately hot pepper in some variations. Pisco sour was invented in Lima, and many theories exist about the cocktail’s rise to fame. The most prevalent theory connects the drink to the early 20th-century bars in Lima. Experts often note that bar owner Victor Morris was among the first to feature the drink on his menu at Morris Bar. Other experts attribute the drink to the Maury Hotel bar, where egg whites and bitters were added to the recipe. While less known, some records point to the theory that the basic drink recipe for pisco sour may be older than the 1920s. A Peruvian cookbook, known as Nuevo Manual del Cocina a la Criolla, written in 1903, lists a cocktail recipe that includes egg white, pisco, sugar, and lime juice. While this recipe is not labeled with the name pisco sour, some historians hypothesize that it may have inspired the cocktail recipe used for pisco sours late that same century. Pisco is a spirit made from a distillation of fermented grapes and was sold after the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, as grapevines were one of the Spanish introductions into Peru. As pisco grew in popularity, it was mixed into various cocktail preparations for interesting flavors. It was later declared a Cultural Heritage of the Nation by the National Institute of Culture in 2007. In the present day, pisco sours are one of the most well-known drinks in Peru, especially in Lima, and variations using Ají Mirasol capture a concentrated depth of flavor. The spice from the peppers mixes with the acidity, sweetness, and refreshing nature of the drink, creating a complex flavor and sipping experience. Ají Mirasol is typically ground into a powder and sprinkled over the drink, or it can be rehydrated and blended into a paste, stirring into the drink.
Geography/History
Ají Mirasol is the name of dried Ají Amarillo. This species is native to South America and has been growing wild since ancient times. Much of the pepper’s origins are unknown, but it is thought that the variety first arose from a region near the Lake Titicaca basin and the border of modern-day Peru and Bolivia. Over time, seeds from the peppers were naturally spread throughout South America, and images of the pods appeared in pottery, carvings, and drawings throughout indigenous civilizations in coastal South America. Little written records were taken before the arrival of the Spanish. Once they established trade ports in the New World, Spanish chroniclers in the 15th and 16th centuries began documenting various types of ají among Indigenous populations. Ají Amarillo has remained a prevalent pepper in South America and has spread as a specialty variety worldwide. Ají Mirasol has also been intertwined with the fresh pepper’s success, as it can be used when fresh peppers are unavailable. Dried peppers can be stored for extended periods, providing secure food and flavoring sources. Today, Ají Amarillo peppers are grown in varying climates and are prevalent in Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru. Once dried, the pods are sold in local markets under the Ají Mirasol name. Outside of South America, Ají Mirasol is mainly exported to countries as a culinary ingredient, including India, Japan, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, the United States, and Europe. The Ají Mirasol featured in the photograph above was sourced through markets in Lima, Peru.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Dried Aji Mirasol Peppers. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Silk Road Dairy |
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Aji Mirasol Salsa |
