CGN 21500 Pepper Review

Despite the CGN 21500 pepper’s name, it’s not from the future or a cyborg out to destroy the human race. The variety just doesn’t have a market-driving moniker so it is referenced by the catalog number given to it by the Centre for Genetic Resources in the Netherlands.

My plant is sitting in a self-watering bucket and has grown to about two and a half feet tall and just about as wide. The branches are packed with pods of varying stages of ripeness from green to purple to the final peach. To say the fruit on the CGN 21500 are pretty is an understatement.

The fruit that I have been harvesting are smooth skinned and roughly the size of a U.S. quarter. The coloring varies a bit based on the amount of sun a particular pod has been under – it appears to drive the flush of purple that streaks some of the fruit. Inside, the CGN 21500 has a sizable cluster of seeds and placenta for a smallish fruit.

The aroma is quite fragrant and floral with soft tropical fruit notes reminiscent of a scotch bonnet. The flavors pretty much follow suit with a driving floral character, tropical fruit notes, a light sweetness and twinge of bitterness late. These little fruit are nice and crunchy, producing a juicy experience with each bite.

The heat associated with the CGN 21500 settles around the bottom end of the range of a habanero. It’s a moderate burn that builds swiftly at the back of the throat first before moving forward across the tongue. The peak is short-lived as the fire fades smoothly to a lasting, pleasant warmth.

While I love the look of the overall plant and individual fruit, I’m not 1005 sold on the flavor. These little guys are a bit too heavy on the floral side for what they are. I may grow them again, but then again, this one plant has provided a pretty large number of fruit to keep me stocked in the freezer for many months to come.