Aji Guaguao is a rare wild Capsicum frutescens variety native to the Sierra Maestra mountains of southeastern Cuba. It produces high yields of small Tabasco-like pods that ripen from green to orange to red with very good flavor and hot heat. The deciduous fruits detach easily when ripe, making them ideal for sauces and dried seasonings.
Aji Guaguao, also known as Aji Guaguao Cubano, is a wild-growing Capsicum frutescens cultivar originating from the rugged Sierra Maestra mountain range in southeastern Cuba. The plants grow to about 1 to 1.2 meters tall, forming productive bushy specimens that can reach 4 feet or more in height. The small conical pods, approximately 1.5 inches long, ripen from green through orange to a vibrant red. When fully mature the fruits soften and fall easily from the calyx. With Scoville ratings between 50,000 and 80,000 SHU, the pepper delivers hot heat paired with an excellent versatile flavor. It is highly productive and well-suited for culinary use in soups, stews, sauces, rice dishes, and as a dried powder for seasonings. The variety performs best in warm climates where it can persist as a perennial in USDA zones 9b through 11.
No photos of Aji Guaguao here yet. Got one? Share it with us.
This wild variety hails from the Sierra Maestra mountain range in southeastern Cuba, a rugged region with historical significance in guerrilla warfare. It is prized by enthusiasts for its high productivity and versatile flavor.
Promote a product tied to Aji Guaguao? This slot is open.
Reach out →Very good flavor that enhances many dishes; excellent when fresh or dried into powder.
Huge shout-out to the breeders, growers, researchers, and seed savers linked below — their independent work is what lets us fact-check our own. Go visit them.
These references are used to verify what we publish — not as the source of the content itself. Seed catalogs, breeder pages, research papers, and cultivar databases let us cross-check every fact before it lands here. Open any card to read the original or dig deeper.
