Habanero De Arbol Pepper Review
I’m not sure whether the Habanero De Arbol is truly a Habanero variety, but I do know that its name is a combination of a couple other pepper types. It inherits the “Arbol” portion of its moniker due to how the fruit on the plant initially grow pointing upwards toward the sky – similar to the Chile de Arbol – before eventually getting heavy enough to end up facing the earth. The heat level of this pepper is well within the Habanero range (100,00 – 250,00 SHU) so that’s where the other half of its name comes.
This is also a variety that needs some space. My plant was truly massive in size, reaching darn near six feet in height and easily 4-5 feet in width. It ended up resting upon the other plants within the raised bed that it was grown. And with that size comes plenty of opportunity to produce a large number of fruit – this plant gifted me well over 150 ripe peppers before I stopped keeping track.
![Habanero de Arbol pepper](/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/habanero-de-arbol-pepper-review.jpg)
Each harvested pepper was roughly an inch in length with a consistent bullet shape. The flesh, when fully ripe, presented a smooth blend of various hues of orange. Inside, the smallish peppers are packed width a good amount of placenta and seeds.
The aroma is initially grassy with a decent bit of fruitiness lingering well into the background. The flavor follows suit for the most part. Biting into the Habanero De Arbol provides a satisfyingly crunchy experience as notes of grass and bitterness arrive first with the distant fruit notes filling in the gaps.
![Habanero de Arbol pepper](/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/habanero-de-arbol-pepper-review-2.jpg)
Hitting almost immediately, the burn builds swiftly towards its peak. The pepper is surprisingly hot for one that doesn’t look overly frightening. At its plateau, the Habanero De Arbol presents a light stinging character, a bit of whiskey chest with each swallow and a burn that is focused solely on the tongue. It’s quite fiery as it rests atop its peak for a good long while before fading slowly.
The Habanero De Arbol is a sneaky little pepper. It looks fairly benign from the outside, but man, it certainly packs a punch. I’m not a fan of the initial bitterness in the flavor profile, but that doesn’t appear to come through in salsas or sauces that I have made with the pepper so far. If you’ve got the space to accommodate a fairly sizable plant, this is certainly one to be considered.