What are Japones Peppers

Japones Peppers (pronounced ha-po-NAYS), Capsicum annum, are also called hontaka, santaka, and Oriental chile peppers. These are often confused with the Japanese specialty pepper Yatsufusa, also known as chiles Japones.

These chiles are very light, with approximately 35 chiles per ounce.

Japones Peppers are a very versatile chile and are one of the most common dried red chiles. These can be found relatively easily in larger urban areas in various Mexican bodegas and Indian, Korean, and other Asian markets. However, you'll often find these in bulk bins, and they're almost always missing their caps and stems.

A small pointed chile about 2" long and ½" wide, Japones Peppers resemble De Arbol Chiles in appearance, but the walls of the Japones are thicker and meatier.

Japones chiles are famous in the Caribbean and Latin American cuisine while also being a renowned chile in Chinese and Japanese dishes.

What do Japones Chiles Taste Like

The Japones Chile has a very clean and sharp taste, and the dried version has a more distinctive taste than the fresh one as the drying process tends to intensify the flavor. Japones peppers are not considered spicy but are used more for pure, simple heat.

Which is Hotter De Arbol Chiles or Japones Chiles

We considered Japones Peppers a hot chile, measuring between 15,000 and 30,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units).

De Arbol Chiles are also considered hot chiles and tip the scales at 15,000 – 30,000 SHU.

What are Japones Peppers Used For?

The cuisines of southeastern Asia tend to gravitate towards using chiles that do not have complex flavor profiles. Because the flavor is not complex, this allows better balance with the heavy usage of the very flavorful and widely used spices, cilantro, garlic, and lemongrass.

You'll find large bags of chiles in Hong Kong markets ubiquitously labeled "Chinese Chiles". These chiles tend to be either Thai Bird Chiles or Japones chiles, which are popular in the local crab shacks and dim sum houses. In addition, japones are a vital ingredient in Hunan and Sichuan-style dishes.

You'll find these fiery chiles in chutneys, salsas, sauces, and stir-fries. The Japones Pepper's high heat, little flavor, and slim form make them ideal for liquid infusions, like hot pepper oils and vodkas. They're frequently steeped in vegetable oils to release and enhance their flavor. Innovative bakers use Japones peppers in bread. 

We especially like these in Hot Peanut Sauces, Thai Basil Curry dishes, and Vegetable Jalfrezi.

Japones chiles may be used whole or ground or roasted whole, or broken, in a dry, hot pan. We've also finely minced them and added them to everything from barbecue sauces to relishes.

Japones Peppers Substitution

If you have a dish that calls for Japones Peppers but doesn’t have any, you can also use De Arbol Chiles as they have the same heat level, but if you crave a bit more heat, then you can also use either Tien Tsin chiles (50,000 – 70,000 SHU) or Thai chiles (70,000 – 130,000 SHU).

History of Japones Peppers

Some believe that Japones get their name from the Spanish word for Japanese. Chile pepper historians believe that the Japones Pepper is indigenous to Jalisco in the central valley of Mexico. Japones are not popular in Mexican cuisine. Because of this, there is little to no historical information on chile in that country.

A recent genomic study that presented the results of a high-throughput genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) study showed that Chile Japones’, several different cultivars of Serrano Chiles, Jalapenos, and De Arbol Chiles , were closely related to "the mother of all chiles" Chiltepíns¹.

Cultivating Japones Chiles

Japones Chiles are grown in Veracruz and San Luis Potos, Mexico². The Japones chile plant grows in upright clusters of 5 to 6 pods at the top of an 18" to 24" tall bushy plant. This pepper variety is quite productive, producing hundreds of pods per plant³, typically 60-120 chiles. The chiles ripen from green to red and mature in 70-80 days.

Where are Japones Peppers From?

India.


 

Hungry for More Information

How Well do You Know Your Chiles
All About Sichuan Cuisine
The Flavors of China
Thai Spices and Seasonings

References

1 Pereira-Dias, L., Vilanova, S., Fita, A., Prohens, J., & Rodríguez-Burruezo, A. (2019). ). Genetic diversity, population structure, and relationships in a collection of pepper (Capsicum spp.) landraces from the Spanish centre of diversity revealed by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Horticulture Research, 6(1).

2 Dewitt, D. (1999). The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia: Everything You’ll Ever Need To Know About Hot Peppers, With More Than 100 Recipes (1st ed.). William Morrow Cookbooks.

3 Japones Chiles . (n.d.). HR Seeds. Retrieved January 16, 2022.