Lesya Pepper
Lesya Pepper is a sweet Ukrainian heirloom Capsicum annuum known for its heart-shaped fruits and exceptionally juicy, sweet flavor. Bred in the early 2000s by Nadiya Filimonivna Bilous, it serves as a superior, thick-walled alternative to bell peppers. Plants are compact and highly productive, ripening fruits from green to deep red.
The Lesya Pepper, also known as Lesya sweet pepper, originates from Ukraine where it was carefully developed over nine years by breeder Nadiya Filimonivna Bilous on her homestead farm in the Khmelnytskyi region. Named after a close friend, this variety was specifically bred for its thick, juicy walls and unique teardrop or heart-shaped form that tapers to a fine point. The fruits start green and mature to a vibrant deep red, offering an intensely sweet taste packed with natural sugars, far sweeter than typical bell peppers with little to no bitterness. The plants are stocky and compact, reaching about two feet in height, and are known for their high yields and ease of growth in gardens or containers. Lesya peppers excel in a variety of culinary applications due to their dense texture and flavor, making them ideal for fresh eating, roasting, or stuffing. There is also an orange variant available that shares similar characteristics but with a different hue and subtle flavor variations. This pepper has gained popularity among gardeners worldwide for its productivity and outstanding sweetness.
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Backstory
Bred in the early 2000s by Nadiya Filimonivna Bilous over a period of nine years on the Bilous family homestead farm and permaculture center in Ukraine. The variety was named after a friend, Lesya, a diminutive of Oleksandra. The goal was to develop a thick-walled, juicy, sweet pepper with a distinctive teardrop shape. Stock has since been shared internationally, with seed companies further selecting for uniformity.
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Reach out →Flavor
Incredibly sweet and juicy with thick, dense walls; elevated natural sugars give it a superior flavor to red bell peppers, with almost no bitterness especially after removing seeds and pith. Described as fruity and fresh.
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