Red Thunder Chile Peppers
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Red Thunder chile peppers are elongated, curved to straight pods, averaging 22 to 25 centimeters in length and 3 to 4 centimeters in diameter, and have a conical shape that tapers to a point on the non-stem end. The skin is lightly wrinkled, glossy, and waxy, displaying many folds and creases, and the pod is initially green, ripening to a dark red when mature. Underneath the surface, the flesh is semi-thick, crisp, striated, and pale red, encasing a narrow, central cavity filled with membranes and round and flat, cream-colored seeds. Red Thunder chile peppers are juicy and have an earthy, subtly sweet, and mild, bitter flavor. The heat is slow-building on the palate, but it quickly grows and lingers with a moderate to hot level of spice.
Seasons/Availability
Red Thunder chile peppers are available in the summer through fall when cultivated outside in Europe and Asia. When grown in greenhouses, the peppers have year-round availability.
Current Facts
Red Thunder chile peppers, botanically classified Capsicum annuum, are an early-ripening, hybrid variety that belongs to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Also known as Tander chile peppers, Red Thunder chile peppers are the mature versions of the pepper that were left on the plant to fully develop a slightly sweeter, sharp, and complex flavor. Both the young green pods and mature red pods are sold at local markets and are used almost interchangeably in raw and cooked applications. Red Thunder chile peppers can widely vary in heat levels from being only moderately hot to spicy, depending on growing conditions, and each individual pepper on the same plant can exhibit different levels of heat. This bullhorn-type pepper was created by a plant-breeding company in the Netherlands to showcase improved cold weather tolerant characteristics for production in Asia. Red Thunder chile peppers are commercially popular due to their durability during transport, being highly exported and used for canned goods, and are also a specialty variety grown in home gardens for fresh and dried uses.
Nutritional Value
Red Thunder chile peppers are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, which are antioxidants that can help boost collagen production and prevent vision loss. The peppers also contain iron, vitamins B6 and K, potassium, and fiber.
Applications
Red Thunder chile peppers are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as frying, grilling, roasting, simmering, sautéing, and baking. The moderately hot peppers can be minced into sauces, marinades, or dressings, chopped into salsas, and sliced and tossed into salads. In Central Asia, spicy peppers are used in adjika, which is a tomato-based sauce that blends garlic, saffron, coriander, dill, garlic, salt, and peppers to make a rich, spicy condiment. The peppers can also be grated and fried into fritters, minced into a filling and wrapped in cabbage rolls or dumplings, stirred into casseroles, tossed into soups, stews, and chilis, or served with grilled meats. The long size and sturdy flesh of the peppers makes them a popular variety for stuffing with cheeses, meats, and grains. They can also be pickled or canned for extended use or dried and ground into a powder for use as a seasoning. Red Thunder chile peppers pair well with meats such as poultry, pork, beef, lamb, and fish, eggs, garlic, onions, dill, parsley, tomatoes, celery, carrots, raisins, rice, and sour cream. The fresh peppers will keep 1-2 weeks when stored whole and unwashed in the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
In the 20th century, Central Asian cuisine was influenced by an influx of Korean migrants due to their mass dispersion throughout the region under the rule of Stalin. The use of chile peppers in soups, condiments, and in fermented dishes such as kimchi, became an adopted practice, and the habit of increasing the heat in dishes has continued to be fused with traditionally spiced dishes in the modern-day. In addition to Central Asia, in Russia, dishes cooked at home are not commonly made with spicy ingredients, but heat-filled condiments using fresh and dried peppers are placed at the dinner table to create customized flavors. Peppers such as the Red Thunder are favored as a specialty variety for their resistance to disease, cold-weather tolerance, and easy-to-grow nature, and are grown on dachas, or plots of land utilized for home gardens. Once harvested, the peppers are strung from doorways or in window seals to dry and are then ground into homemade paprika or chile powder. While each household has its own version of homemade spices, the most prominent seasonings seen at meals are pepper, paprika, and salt, and red chile sauces are also common seasonings to spice soups or steamed fish.
Geography/History
Red Thunder chile peppers were created by Rijk Zwaan, a plant breeding company in the Netherlands that develops hybrid cultivars with improved growth characteristics and traits for selected regions. Primarily created for the Asian market, Red Thunder chile peppers can be grown outside as well as in greenhouses, making them suitable for colder winter climates. With the pepper’s introduction into Asia, they were extensively tested in Russia and eventually gained approval to be listed on the Russian state register in 2015. Today Red Thunder chile peppers can be found in home gardens and are also cultivated through small farms in select regions of Asia and Eastern Europe.
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