Description

A feast for the eyes and the pan. Fish Pepper is a historic Capsicum annuum with variegated leaves, striped pods, and a bright, sea-friendly flavor that made it a favorite in Chesapeake seafood kitchens. Heat ranges from mild to medium-hot depending on maturity, with a clean, peppery snap that lifts creamy dishes and vinegars without overwhelming them.

Plants are compact and striking, usually 2 to 3 feet tall with mottled green-and-cream foliage. Every flush of blossoms gives way to short, tapered pods about 2 to 3 inches long that change color in painterly stages: pale green and cream, then striped and mottled, then orange, and finally red. Walls are medium-thin, which makes the pods quick to cook and ideal for drying into flakes with handsome speckling.

In the kitchen, fish peppers are famous for what they do at different stages. Pick immature pale pods for white sauces and chowders where color matters, or use ripe red pods for spicier relishes, pickles, and pepper oils. The flavor is bright and herbal with a light fruit note, perfect for seafood, crab cakes, oysters, and quick sautés. Dried flakes are beautiful in finishing salts and rubs, while fresh rings bring gentle fire to slaws and tacos.

The variety carries deep cultural roots. Fish pepper arose in African American and Afro-Indigenous foodways of the mid-Atlantic in the 1800s, especially in Black oyster houses and catering kitchens of Baltimore and Philadelphia. Seed was stewarded within those communities, then preserved through family seedkeepers and later shared with collectors, keeping the story alive for modern gardeners. To grow Fish Pepper is to honor that lineage and to bring a piece of Chesapeake culinary history to your garden.