Fish pepper

Fish pepper is an heirloom Capsicum annuum variety originating in the Caribbean and later established in the United States during the 19th century, particularly within African-American communities around the Chesapeake Bay. It was widely used in seafood cooking, where its pale immature pods added heat to light-coloured sauces without changing their appearance.

Plants are known for their highly ornamental variegated foliage, displaying green and white patterning. Pods undergo a distinctive colour progression as they mature, starting creamy white, then developing green with white striping, followed by orange, brown, and finally red at full ripeness.

The variety declined in popularity in the early 20th century but was preserved through seed exchanges. It was reintroduced to wider cultivation in the late 20th century after seeds were rediscovered by food historian William Woys Weaver. Fish pepper delivers mild to moderate heat, averaging around 5,000 Scoville Heat Units, and is valued for both culinary use and ornamental appeal.