Aji Chombo Pepper Review

The Aji Chombo is a pepper that has its origins in Panama and resembles the habanero in terms of shape, flavor and heat. My particular plant produced a large number of ripe fruit while reaching well into the three foot range with its height and width. It got so big, in fact, that it started to affect those smaller plants around it.

The ripe pods on the Aji Chombo, as you can see above, are kind of silly looking with a good deal of folds. The red skin is smooth. Each ripe pepper was roughly an inch and a half in length and consistent with every other ripe fruit I harvested from the plant. Inside, the pepper is just as folded with a little placenta and small number of seeds. It resembles a habanero inside and out.

The aroma of the Aji Chombo is also reminiscent of the habanero with a light fruitiness, soft floral note and hint of sweetness. It does smell darn tasty. The flavor is moderately floral and lightly fruity. It’s really not as sweet as the aroma lead and has a hint of grassiness as well. The skin was surprisingly soft despite the pepper not being over-ripe.

There’s a bit of a delay before the heat start to build. Starting with a light whiskey chest and working its way back to the mouth, the burn eventually engulfs the tongue. It’s definitely a creeper and eventually peaks to a mid-to-high level habanero-like level. The fire sits at the plateau for a good bit until eventually fading to a mellow, clean finish.

I found the Aji Chombo quite tasty and a nice substitute for your standard habanero. The appearance is different, but the flavor profile and level of burn are similar. This variety would be great in salsa or developed into a sauce.