Chilli - Aji omnicolor (Capsicum baccatum)
The fruits from baccatum chillies are known for their pungent fruity flavours and aji omnicolor is no exception. Although it is often grown as an ornamental, compared to other ornamental chillies such as Numex Twilight or Bolivian Rainbow, aji omnicolour is way ahead in terms of flavour. It has all the beauty of the other ornamentals -– it has a neat short stature and bears many fruits all at different stages of ripeness (hence the name) - but in culinary terms it holds its own with the other aji peppers.
Fruits have a rich complex fruity flavour and a good heat. They can be used at all stages of development – they start out greenish-white with a purple blush and develop through white, pale yellow, orange then deep red. The taste changes as fruits ripen and young ones are particularly good raw in sauces and salads. Like other hot ajis, they have a sharp heat that hits fast and fades fast and is rarely overpowering.
Like pubescens, baccatum varieties are relatively cold tolerant compared to other chillies. They will grow well outdoors in summer in many parts of the UK, and as they are early fruiting, can produce good harvests of ripe fruit.
7 litre pots are adequate for growing aji omnicolor. Plants stay quite short – 50-60 cm – although they develop a sideways spreading habit (bigger pots might be better, but a maximum of 10-15 litre is probably as big as they would need).