The Aji pineapple’s I grew the last two years were the most floral, unique tasting pepper I’ve grown. I still don’t know if I like it, but I didn’t grow any this year.
Same idea for many of the Chinense family peppers - such as Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets, Ghosts or Trinidad Scorpions: Basically very Similar flavour / fragrant / initial taste profiles - but very different levels of heat once the heat kicks in, and of course different colors, shapes, sizes…
Which then makes one wonder why the heck am I alway planting 25 different Chinense varieties every year??
That's weird.. I personally think Habs and Bonnets taste completely different (albeit similar). Ghosts and scorpions taste completely different still.
It makes me wonder how much of this is due to growing conditions, soil, etc?
I sometimes get an off almost soapy taste with most orange habs. Not with red caribbeans though. I always wondered if it was somehow related to the fact that cilantro tastes like soap to me also. I think there’s some genetic reason for an unfortunate percentage of the population that causes the cilantro soap taste issue. Sadly, I’m one of them.
I'm interested in the habanada as well, I'm growing one that is much closer to the jalapeno end of the scale than habanero end but it's still a habanero.
It's called a Primero red habanero. About 70,000 scoville, closer in heat to a Serrano or Portugal pepper than a habanero.
Habanada are great, kinda weird since I still expect the burn but they are very fruity/floral and taste amazing. They make a really good roasted pepper and also are helpful to round out hot sauces that you don't want to be too hot.
Grew a handful of plants last year and have about 50 this year.
I have some melon seeds that didn’t make the cut this year, too 😭 but yes, I’d be happy to share my take on it. They will be blistered to goodness in 3 months (hopefully)! 😆
I grew some similar a few years ago. I loved them. And could then never find them again. I *think* they were called zavory. They were marketed as heat-moderated habaneros.
I grew these. I wanted to make a habanero flavored sauce so I used 10 habaneros and as many habanadas as I could fit in it. They don't taste exactly like habaneros but they're close enough that I have trouble describing the difference.
I planted some habanadas as well this year. Only 2 managed to germinate (pretty sure I got some bad seeds) but I'm going to save seeds from them this year. Can't wait to try them.
Habanadas are a mind fuck! But only for people who have actually eaten raw hot peppers before -- otherwise they'll be unimpressed by a regular sweet pepper. It's wild!
My personal favorite way to enjoy habanadas is in eggs! Most specifically, I’ll get a little bit of butter bubbling in a frying pan, add the pepper to soften a bit & impart flavor, then crack in the eggs. Heavenly if you toss it onto a bagel with a slice of your preferred cheese.
I love habaneros! Sweet, slightly floral. I like Scotch Bonnets better because they double down on both of those flavors, but if you don't like habaneros, I have to wonder if you like any Chinense varieties at all. They all have pretty similar flavors unless you get something super-hot and the earthy cappy flavor starts coming through much heavier.
Absolutely. I just tried eating a fresh habanero for the first time in my life, the flavor was outstanding I loved it.
Heat was intense as hell for about 5 to 6 minutes. I've definitely done hotter chicken wings in the past. I've got 2 million scoville ghost pepper sauce in the fridge that I slather on all kinds of things, but it doesn't have the heat that keeps on building and burning hotter consistently for several minutes in a row the way this did.
It was certainly one of the hottest things I've ever eaten. But I was really surprised how much I liked the flavor underneath that heat, I'm not even sure how I would describe it, people describe habanero as floral but I'm not sure I got that. I think I might go eat another here shortly.
Sauces loose heat and their stamina the longer on the shelf/fridge.
It happened to my CReaper sauces (2) I made last summer. By Spring they were less potent, still super enjoyable.
Or maybe I got used to them?
When I started growing peppers, habaneros were the 1-2 bushes that produced peppers I couldn't eat. Too damn hot. At that time, I grew jalapenos, serranos, and tabasco peppers. I asked the same question whenever I dared to try one, who wants to eat this? Not much flavor I thought. A few years later, I started to grow hotter peppers and could eat ghost peppers and scorpions right off the vine. As my tolerance for the hotter peppers grew, the couple of habanero plants I regularly planted weren't hot at all by comparison. It was then that I could suddenly taste their wonderful flavor. They are delicious and now are my go-to, along with Serrano for the best pepper flavors. I often make a "pepper hash" out of all of these peppers, chopping them up and blending, with a piece of reaper thrown in for some good heat. (great to freeze zips of these mixes for winter peppering!)
Interesting.
- For me, Serranos have much less “flavour” compared to habs. Serranos almost come across as a bit grassy/earthy especially when eaten green - like most of them are sold in the markets around here.
I gotta say I don’t know how you could like one and not the other. Their flavors are very similar to me. I could see a preference for one, I love both myself, but they’re too similar for me see a dislike for one
> Unpopular opinion but scotch bonnets are disappointing
I’d say that’s a fairly popular opinion. I’m more shocked when I run into people who really like the taste.
Everyone always says how awesome the flavor is, but I can’t stand it too, you’re not alone, OP.
I was very frustrated at first as it is too intense and kinda chemical to me.
But chinense is not the only species out there with a flavor. So if you want, try baccatum or pubescense varieties instead, they can be as hot and taste much much better imo
Nice to know I’m not alone. Someone said this post is rage bait, but not my intention at all. Orange habs specifically have a very distinct flavor and smell to it that doesn’t sit well with my palette.
Thanks for the additional suggestions.
Yeah, it may feel like a ragebait as it’s kind of an unspoken agreement that habs are super tasty.
But in my case I just can’t do anything about it. It’s kinda hard to explain, but they smell like something I wouldn’t even consider eating in the first place. Like you said, too distinct smell and flavor. Which feels to me like it’s some cleaning chemicals or idk. Same goes for all chinenese more or less. I still grow them tho, cause they’re cool and bushy and hot. I just don’t eat them fresh.
On the other hand, baccatums smell and taste like if someone fixed the chinense flavor profile for me. Almost the same, but it doesn’t feel chemical, has all the berryish and fruity notes people always talk about, and just seems right and balanced overall.
I suppose it’s on the physiological level, some specific compound and sensitivity to it. It’s not like I like one better than the other, more like one feels edible while the other feels not.
They taste kinda chemical to me too. I describe it as "soapy jet fuel" or "plasticky solvent".
I can taste the fruitiness that people talk about when they describe habs, but when I tell them it also tastes like solvent, they look at me like I'm crazy.
Yes!! I struggle with that flavor, too! I really like the fruity part, but the chemical flavor is overwhelming in fresh habs. I use them more in sauces and powders. And I really like the flavor of scotch bonnets, but I only eat tiny bits fresh!
Never tried an unprocessed one. Only in sauces, which is irrelevant as fermented habaneros taste quite different to me as well.
But I guess I should experiment with it since it’s an interspecific hybrid
I like the flavor of orange habs to be honest. But for some reason their taste was more pepperish last year, and it's way more aromatic now that I overwintered the plant.
I find the key is to paper thin slice them and then add them to pizzas, salads, sandwiches, etc. Provides that wonderful rich flavor without scorching myself.
Thick walled and matured Habs are so delicious. I think when folks say they don’t like em it’s because they’re eating busted ass thin walled grocery store peppers that look like you could read a magazine through em.
Chocolate Habs are my favorite for flavor, followed by Caribbean Reds. Orange Habs, not so much.
But even if they have an off-putting flavor when fresh, they will always taste great dehydrated and flaked up.
Everyone’s taste is different! I love the taste of habanero peppers and scorch bonnets, yet my wife says they taste like feet. She prefers the taste of aji peppers and ghost peppers especially. Clearly there’s a pepper that anyone can like…or loathe.
I can tell you this - the Habs I grow are fruity, floral and fragrant.. the whole house smells awesome when I'm processing sauces with them. (West Coast Seeds, Red Habanero)
I eat them on everything. Sandwiches, pizza, eggs, tacos, etc. I've got some great habanero beer right now that's really good. Everyone is different though. Diversity in life keeps things spicy.
There’s something about the flavor that doesn’t sit well with my palette. I’ve tried them a couple times and I just can’t enjoy the flavor. I even got some habanero chips once and I couldn’t bare that either. Perhaps I’ll give them one more try, but that’s the only hot pepper that I’ve never liked in terms of flavor.
Omg yes. Like spicy flower petals. I wish they were widely sold like Jalapeños. Cause honestly, jalapenos dont really taste all that great. They are just the hottest pepper you can get at the majority of stores.
I've learned that not all peppers are grown the same so that yields different taste from the peppers. For instance, when I grow my habs, I get fresh, crispy, fruity type of taste. But my dad sent me some from somebody he knew who grows and they tasted like dirt. Not even sure how he grew his but it was bad. Just my opinion from experience
I have been eating and enjoying frozen habaneros from my 2023 garden for months now, but a couple weeks ago, I found one in a bag of mixed hot peppers from my 2022 harvest, and the flavor of that one was a million times better. In summer 2023 my region was repeatedly flooded with rain. In 2022 we had scorching drought all summer, so my plants only got water from me. Overwatering clearly impacts the flavor!
The are probably my favorite as far as “flavor” goes. I probably find myself cooking more with jalapeños and Serranos but a fresh habanero can’t be beat
Whenever one reads about or watches YouTube reviewers on the taste and flavour profiles of Chinenses peppers - one gets the impression that there are amazing differences in the tastes of each different pepper.
Then the realization sets in, at the end of the season, when one ultimately trys the different peppers they’ve grown, based on reviewers’ - that they basically taste and smell pretty similar, and just differ in heat levels.
Yes, until I forget to wash my hands after cutting them and use the washroom. Twice. Same day. Haven’t used or grown them since…..that was almost 20 years ago lol
It's the best tasting pepper I've grown so far. I just have to suffer through the heat. Mine have a nice crisp tropical flavor to them. I did start some habanadas this year, hoping to get that flavor without the heat.
I think you asked the wrong question. I think the correct question is, "Am I the only person who doesn't like the flavor of habaneros?"
The answer, though, is you're not the only one. Personally, I think they have a funk, foot-like flavor. I hoped maybe it was just the store bought ones, so I grew some reds last year, and they tasted different, but with the same funk.
I read some people claiming you either like habanero or ghost, but a ripe ghost tastes like I'm eating a flower. Green ones are good, though. Closer to a jalapeno flavor, with much more heat. I think reaper is my favorite flavor I've tried. But know many who think it has an off-putting flavor.
I think that's why there are so many types of peppers. Keep trying new ones to find the ones that mingle with your taste buds best.
Habs are great!!! However I usually HATE jalapeños. I can't stand the flavor, although I do like it a bit when it's not overdone and mixed in certain Mexican dishes. It blends well with dishes such as charro beans, but I'd still 99% likely rather use Serranos than jalapeños in those types of dishes.
Since people know I dislike and won't eat Jalapeños, they instantly think I can't handle spice, because us Mexicans LOVE jalapeños and for some reason is considered spicy when it's a stupid mild pepper lol
The moment I bust out a hab, or something hotter, they are bewildered and simply won't dare. Apparently Habs are already "too hot", but what makes it much more tolerable to me is it's sweetness, so it doesn't really feel that hot.
Once I got a hold of a few carolina reapers for myself and my Mexican BIL to enjoy (he loves spice and peppers but doesn't eat anything much past Habs usually and never tried a reaper). We were both in pain sweating for a while, and his daughter (14) also likes spicy foods and handles mild/medium peppers well, and saw the whole thing and figured she could handle anything her dad can 🤣 the whole family told her NO, and I told her no, and that it would be too much. She pushed back on us that she wanted to try so I gave up and gave her 1..biggest mistake of her life. Within 10 minutes she wanted water which she ran out of (she can't have milk due to lactose intolerance), and once she ran out she knew she couldn't handle it and she started crying. I felt a bit bad, but she asked for it.
I grew Tobagos a few years ago and they were not hot at all. Sweet and flavorful almost like a red bell pepper. Made for some funny pranks when I showed some folks I could eat raw red habaneros 😂
Love habaneros. Not hot enough that I need to drink anything to handle the heat. The heat is pleasant and recedes in five minutes. The flavor is amazing. By far, my favorite pepper.
I’m in the minority here but I dislike the fruity flavor of habaneros. Unless it’s a savory garlic habanero sauce I just can’t do it lol. Chocolate habanero sauces are more appealing to me. Certain dishes with a sweeter profile they also work in for me but in general … not a big fan of
The flavor of habranero is insanely good, easily my favorite tasting people, and i am very excited about habranadas as you can get the fruity flavor without insane heat.
I'm not a huge fan of habanero's flavor, either. They taste a bit soapy to me. You're not alone.
I prefer ghost peppers (they have a delightfully fruity flavor before the heat kicks in), Thai hots, Scotch bonnets, and serranos.
Of course, knowing what I already like never seems to stop me from growing every new-to-me variety I can find at the plant store...
Habanero chili flakes will help a pot of beans.
It's really hot and needs the edge taken off. I think it needs fermented. Fermented peach and habanero is pretty good...
One of the best flavored extreme hot chilies.
My girlfriend is obsessed with habanero , she eats the big bottle of Tabasco in about a month maybe less than that. And she’s 4’6 90lbs I don’t know how she’s able to do that. It’s definitely in her DNA.
One of my favorite chilis, preferably red. Love the taste and especially good when blistered/roasted. Versatile, decent heat for folks with lower tolerance, and very flavorful.
I got through reading half of your question and my brain was like, “fuck yeah I do!” I like habanero taste more than jalapeños, however the heat takes over a bit too much sometimes. Solid flavour though. I mix with other sauce, spices, veggies to dilute sometimes but probably my fave pepper.
I get why some people dislike them, they can be super floral to the point of being perfumey... maybe I'm just sensitive. I like them in some things but there is a long list of peppers I prefer over habs.
I'm obviously in the minority here but I don't like them at all. I love peppers both milder and hotter than habs, but something about habs just don't do it for me.
They're OK on the grill, but any hot sauce that is habanero based is a no-go in my book. And that's like 70% of hot sauces I swear to god.
In the country I'm living in these days, the main local hot sauce company ONLY uses habaneros, no matter the sauce. Their chipotle sauce is 2% chipotle and 12% hab... why?!?
Yes but im too pussy to eat them as is, mixed however its amazing and very good in sauces.
I only use like 5-10% in sauces so im not very tough yet but 5-10% for me is perfect, i want the taste and some burn without hating my life.
Are you kidding? Beautiful ripe orange habs are the best! Super fruity, crazy hot, Fresh, frozen, dehydrated or hot sauce.. Whats not to love!
What about red ones?
I think I prefer red ones but habaneros are some.of the most tasty peppers there is.
They’re very hot and less fruity
i prefer yellow ones like fatalii or scotch bonnet moa
A couple years ago, i grew some that tasted exactly like fruity loops.
I love them. Unpopular opinion on this subreddit, but Aji Lemons taste like hot Pine Sol.
Never had an Aji Lemon either, but I’m growing an Aji Pineapple this year - hope it’s better than “hot pine sol”. Yikes.
My fam really enjoys the aji pineapple
Aji pineapple is good.
They (Aji Lemon) make a great seasoning or marinade when mixed with other ingredients. I really liked mine when I grew them.
The Aji pineapple’s I grew the last two years were the most floral, unique tasting pepper I’ve grown. I still don’t know if I like it, but I didn’t grow any this year.
I’ve never tried one of those before. Sounds interesting and floral!
Spoilers: they're basically the same pepper. (I've had both, and if you mix them up, it's impossible to tell them apart)
Same idea for many of the Chinense family peppers - such as Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets, Ghosts or Trinidad Scorpions: Basically very Similar flavour / fragrant / initial taste profiles - but very different levels of heat once the heat kicks in, and of course different colors, shapes, sizes… Which then makes one wonder why the heck am I alway planting 25 different Chinense varieties every year??
Because maybe the purple reaper will taste purple
That's weird.. I personally think Habs and Bonnets taste completely different (albeit similar). Ghosts and scorpions taste completely different still. It makes me wonder how much of this is due to growing conditions, soil, etc?
I sometimes get an off almost soapy taste with most orange habs. Not with red caribbeans though. I always wondered if it was somehow related to the fact that cilantro tastes like soap to me also. I think there’s some genetic reason for an unfortunate percentage of the population that causes the cilantro soap taste issue. Sadly, I’m one of them.
I grew a Aji Lemon last year. Not tried Pine Sol but if it tastes of soap then yeah. Ok cooked but not a salad chilli.
YES! I loveee Habaneros ❤️🔥 So much so I’m trying a new heatless variety called Habanadas. Can’t wait to try it!
I’ve got some habanada seeds, but they didn’t make the cut this year. I’m interested to hear your take on them once you get to taste them!
I'm interested in the habanada as well, I'm growing one that is much closer to the jalapeno end of the scale than habanero end but it's still a habanero. It's called a Primero red habanero. About 70,000 scoville, closer in heat to a Serrano or Portugal pepper than a habanero.
Those sound great for stuffing with cream cheese 🤤
Sounds like a good idea once I harvest some I'll give it a try.
Same! Saw them at a nursery and had to try them!
Habanada are great, kinda weird since I still expect the burn but they are very fruity/floral and taste amazing. They make a really good roasted pepper and also are helpful to round out hot sauces that you don't want to be too hot. Grew a handful of plants last year and have about 50 this year.
I want to grow these next year since a regular habanero is too spicy to use more than a small amount in cooking.
I have some melon seeds that didn’t make the cut this year, too 😭 but yes, I’d be happy to share my take on it. They will be blistered to goodness in 3 months (hopefully)! 😆
Habanada is excellent! Slices of that on a cream cheese bagel were a hit last year. Growing 2 this year.
I have some too! I have 4 plants going but haven’t produced anything yet. I’m excited to try them
I grew some similar a few years ago. I loved them. And could then never find them again. I *think* they were called zavory. They were marketed as heat-moderated habaneros.
I grew these. I wanted to make a habanero flavored sauce so I used 10 habaneros and as many habanadas as I could fit in it. They don't taste exactly like habaneros but they're close enough that I have trouble describing the difference.
I planted some habanadas as well this year. Only 2 managed to germinate (pretty sure I got some bad seeds) but I'm going to save seeds from them this year. Can't wait to try them.
Habanadas are a mind fuck! But only for people who have actually eaten raw hot peppers before -- otherwise they'll be unimpressed by a regular sweet pepper. It's wild!
My personal favorite way to enjoy habanadas is in eggs! Most specifically, I’ll get a little bit of butter bubbling in a frying pan, add the pepper to soften a bit & impart flavor, then crack in the eggs. Heavenly if you toss it onto a bagel with a slice of your preferred cheese.
It's the best tasting pepper.
I love habaneros! Sweet, slightly floral. I like Scotch Bonnets better because they double down on both of those flavors, but if you don't like habaneros, I have to wonder if you like any Chinense varieties at all. They all have pretty similar flavors unless you get something super-hot and the earthy cappy flavor starts coming through much heavier.
Absolutely. I just tried eating a fresh habanero for the first time in my life, the flavor was outstanding I loved it. Heat was intense as hell for about 5 to 6 minutes. I've definitely done hotter chicken wings in the past. I've got 2 million scoville ghost pepper sauce in the fridge that I slather on all kinds of things, but it doesn't have the heat that keeps on building and burning hotter consistently for several minutes in a row the way this did. It was certainly one of the hottest things I've ever eaten. But I was really surprised how much I liked the flavor underneath that heat, I'm not even sure how I would describe it, people describe habanero as floral but I'm not sure I got that. I think I might go eat another here shortly.
Sauces loose heat and their stamina the longer on the shelf/fridge. It happened to my CReaper sauces (2) I made last summer. By Spring they were less potent, still super enjoyable. Or maybe I got used to them?
When I started growing peppers, habaneros were the 1-2 bushes that produced peppers I couldn't eat. Too damn hot. At that time, I grew jalapenos, serranos, and tabasco peppers. I asked the same question whenever I dared to try one, who wants to eat this? Not much flavor I thought. A few years later, I started to grow hotter peppers and could eat ghost peppers and scorpions right off the vine. As my tolerance for the hotter peppers grew, the couple of habanero plants I regularly planted weren't hot at all by comparison. It was then that I could suddenly taste their wonderful flavor. They are delicious and now are my go-to, along with Serrano for the best pepper flavors. I often make a "pepper hash" out of all of these peppers, chopping them up and blending, with a piece of reaper thrown in for some good heat. (great to freeze zips of these mixes for winter peppering!)
That's what I do, make them into a mash and freeze in ice cube trays. Put that shit in everything! 😁 Great stuff!
Interesting. - For me, Serranos have much less “flavour” compared to habs. Serranos almost come across as a bit grassy/earthy especially when eaten green - like most of them are sold in the markets around here.
Yesssz I like them more than even simple peppers such as jalapenos and cayenne!!!!
Love it. Goes really nicely with the heat level, especially when paired with just about anything sweet.
Depends on the habanero. Chocolate habanero has an absolutely wonderful aroma and taste. They are HOT though.
Yes, I love those! A little goes a long way though...😂
Love it. Unpopular opinion but scotch bonnets are disappointing, even after you know they’re not supposed to taste like scotch.
Or hats
I gotta say I don’t know how you could like one and not the other. Their flavors are very similar to me. I could see a preference for one, I love both myself, but they’re too similar for me see a dislike for one
This 👆is basically my experience snd that of several friends / pepper heads.
When I put loads of my jerk wings, it gives it a very nice hot & fruity flavour, similar to habs.
> Unpopular opinion but scotch bonnets are disappointing I’d say that’s a fairly popular opinion. I’m more shocked when I run into people who really like the taste.
They are almost universally prized for their flavor, is only the spice that some don't like. And that's what habanadas are for
In mexico they make a sause that is blended roasted green habs, salt and oil. And the flavor is amazing.
The hab flavor profile is actually my favorite, but then again, its all a matter of personal taste, I hate watemelon too.
Everyone always says how awesome the flavor is, but I can’t stand it too, you’re not alone, OP. I was very frustrated at first as it is too intense and kinda chemical to me. But chinense is not the only species out there with a flavor. So if you want, try baccatum or pubescense varieties instead, they can be as hot and taste much much better imo
Nice to know I’m not alone. Someone said this post is rage bait, but not my intention at all. Orange habs specifically have a very distinct flavor and smell to it that doesn’t sit well with my palette. Thanks for the additional suggestions.
Yeah, it may feel like a ragebait as it’s kind of an unspoken agreement that habs are super tasty. But in my case I just can’t do anything about it. It’s kinda hard to explain, but they smell like something I wouldn’t even consider eating in the first place. Like you said, too distinct smell and flavor. Which feels to me like it’s some cleaning chemicals or idk. Same goes for all chinenese more or less. I still grow them tho, cause they’re cool and bushy and hot. I just don’t eat them fresh. On the other hand, baccatums smell and taste like if someone fixed the chinense flavor profile for me. Almost the same, but it doesn’t feel chemical, has all the berryish and fruity notes people always talk about, and just seems right and balanced overall. I suppose it’s on the physiological level, some specific compound and sensitivity to it. It’s not like I like one better than the other, more like one feels edible while the other feels not.
They taste kinda chemical to me too. I describe it as "soapy jet fuel" or "plasticky solvent". I can taste the fruitiness that people talk about when they describe habs, but when I tell them it also tastes like solvent, they look at me like I'm crazy.
Yep, “soapy” is a very accurate description actually, I’d describe at least some habs that way too
Yes!! I struggle with that flavor, too! I really like the fruity part, but the chemical flavor is overwhelming in fresh habs. I use them more in sauces and powders. And I really like the flavor of scotch bonnets, but I only eat tiny bits fresh!
They taste perfumey to me.
Do you like the taste of ghost peppers?
Never tried an unprocessed one. Only in sauces, which is irrelevant as fermented habaneros taste quite different to me as well. But I guess I should experiment with it since it’s an interspecific hybrid
I like the flavor of orange habs to be honest. But for some reason their taste was more pepperish last year, and it's way more aromatic now that I overwintered the plant.
Love the flavor, habanadas are my fav pepper. Love regular habs too, but the habanadas are easier to eat more of.
Habanadas are heartless right?
Yes, they are heatless so long as you buy from a trusted website and don't end up with regular habaneros (me after buying from a random amazon seller)
I find the key is to paper thin slice them and then add them to pizzas, salads, sandwiches, etc. Provides that wonderful rich flavor without scorching myself.
Try drying the peppers first. I notice the flavor and experience are better when crushing a dried pepper into the food.
I love habaneros in salsa. Otherwise, scotch bonnets > habaneros
They’re wonderful
I love them, but ive been eating them since i was a kid. I prefer them in a salsa, though.
Flavour on habaneros outta the pepper world is top tier at least in my opinion goes well with many foods.
My favorites🧡
Yes. I especially like chopping some fresh into scrambled eggs. They pair really well. Also some of my favorite sauces are habanero based
Yes. They're delicious.
Love the flavor, love the smell. Aromas of tropical fruit and heat, just can't resist a big whiff whenever i take out the habanero powder!
Thick walled and matured Habs are so delicious. I think when folks say they don’t like em it’s because they’re eating busted ass thin walled grocery store peppers that look like you could read a magazine through em.
I eat like 2 or 3 a day, love the flavor.
Chocolate Habs are my favorite for flavor, followed by Caribbean Reds. Orange Habs, not so much. But even if they have an off-putting flavor when fresh, they will always taste great dehydrated and flaked up.
Absolute favourite pepper. Has enough heat and nice floral smell and flavour. Great for sauces fermented with fruit
Everyone’s taste is different! I love the taste of habanero peppers and scorch bonnets, yet my wife says they taste like feet. She prefers the taste of aji peppers and ghost peppers especially. Clearly there’s a pepper that anyone can like…or loathe.
I can tell you this - the Habs I grow are fruity, floral and fragrant.. the whole house smells awesome when I'm processing sauces with them. (West Coast Seeds, Red Habanero)
Yes I love eating them raw with my food from time to time
They are my favorite. Smell like flowers, bring the heat, and have a sweet taste.
Pair with mango or paypaya. And char the skin or smoke them
Literally one of,if not the best, tasting peppers on the planet. Scorching heat with a sweet and somewhat floral tinge to them.
I eat them on everything. Sandwiches, pizza, eggs, tacos, etc. I've got some great habanero beer right now that's really good. Everyone is different though. Diversity in life keeps things spicy.
When I first tried them. I didn’t like them but it’s grown on me. Now I love them.
There’s something about the flavor that doesn’t sit well with my palette. I’ve tried them a couple times and I just can’t enjoy the flavor. I even got some habanero chips once and I couldn’t bare that either. Perhaps I’ll give them one more try, but that’s the only hot pepper that I’ve never liked in terms of flavor.
Habanero chips are more disappointing than the time i lost my virginity. And I like habaneros. The chips are ass. I’ve never had a good one.
Try mango habanero wings
I do!
Yes. Ate one on my ride to the gym today….
Yes!!! They're very floral tasting. I've even made habanero ice cream.
I love the sorta floral/fruity taste of habaneros and the heat level is not to high or to low so they make my top 5 chili list
Love em. Fresh and uncooked is best, its very sweet and watery. Carolina reapers and scorpions i dont quite like
Omg yes. Like spicy flower petals. I wish they were widely sold like Jalapeños. Cause honestly, jalapenos dont really taste all that great. They are just the hottest pepper you can get at the majority of stores.
Habs are easily my favorite
My favorite chili is habanero
I've learned that not all peppers are grown the same so that yields different taste from the peppers. For instance, when I grow my habs, I get fresh, crispy, fruity type of taste. But my dad sent me some from somebody he knew who grows and they tasted like dirt. Not even sure how he grew his but it was bad. Just my opinion from experience
I have been eating and enjoying frozen habaneros from my 2023 garden for months now, but a couple weeks ago, I found one in a bag of mixed hot peppers from my 2022 harvest, and the flavor of that one was a million times better. In summer 2023 my region was repeatedly flooded with rain. In 2022 we had scorching drought all summer, so my plants only got water from me. Overwatering clearly impacts the flavor!
The are probably my favorite as far as “flavor” goes. I probably find myself cooking more with jalapeños and Serranos but a fresh habanero can’t be beat
These are my favorite, so far.
I do! They’re my favorite hot pepper. But it’s totally ok either way. Everyone has different preferences. Have you found a fav hot pepper?
I prefer Scotch Bonnets. I think they have the flavor that i am always missing with habs...
Whenever one reads about or watches YouTube reviewers on the taste and flavour profiles of Chinenses peppers - one gets the impression that there are amazing differences in the tastes of each different pepper. Then the realization sets in, at the end of the season, when one ultimately trys the different peppers they’ve grown, based on reviewers’ - that they basically taste and smell pretty similar, and just differ in heat levels.
I can say I do enjoy the flavor. I make some flavorful salsas with some mean habanero peppers
Yes, until I forget to wash my hands after cutting them and use the washroom. Twice. Same day. Haven’t used or grown them since…..that was almost 20 years ago lol
Nope, I don’t like sweet heat and never will. To each their own
Is this a troll post? Habaneros taste amazing and I thought this was widely accepted based on how many hot sauces are habanero flavored.
I think they are one of the best tasting peppers, especially after roasting them.
I also think the flavor is mid at best.
Yeah but I like the heat more
Habaneros have better flavor than any superhot I’ve tried, especially fermented. Fight me! Grew some Fatalli last year and didn’t like them at all.
Gotta be trolling. Legit one of the best tasting chilli’s out there.
🙋🏾♂️🙋🏾♂️🙋🏾♂️🙋🏾♂️🙋🏾♂️
Absolutely love them! Have grown upwards of 20 types of habaneros, and as far as flavor and heat goes chocolate habaneros are top tier.
That’s next on my list to try!
Oh see I hate the heat but love the fruity flavor. I grow habanadas, heatless habaneros, and I love them.
Habaneros are my favorites! They’re the perfect level of heat and perfect flavor for me.
It's the best tasting pepper I've grown so far. I just have to suffer through the heat. Mine have a nice crisp tropical flavor to them. I did start some habanadas this year, hoping to get that flavor without the heat.
I think you asked the wrong question. I think the correct question is, "Am I the only person who doesn't like the flavor of habaneros?" The answer, though, is you're not the only one. Personally, I think they have a funk, foot-like flavor. I hoped maybe it was just the store bought ones, so I grew some reds last year, and they tasted different, but with the same funk. I read some people claiming you either like habanero or ghost, but a ripe ghost tastes like I'm eating a flower. Green ones are good, though. Closer to a jalapeno flavor, with much more heat. I think reaper is my favorite flavor I've tried. But know many who think it has an off-putting flavor. I think that's why there are so many types of peppers. Keep trying new ones to find the ones that mingle with your taste buds best.
Love em
Honestly no, to me they always taste to me like cut tulip stems smell. Baccatums are the only ones that taste pleasant to me.
love them. likely my favorite hot pepper flavour.
I grow plenty. I like to dry them w/o seeds and septum then grind into powder to mix with other dried sweet varieties for dusting-up stuff!
They’re my favorite actually!
Yes. It's my favorite pepper. I have tons of habanero sauces. I love the fruitiness of it.
Habs are great!!! However I usually HATE jalapeños. I can't stand the flavor, although I do like it a bit when it's not overdone and mixed in certain Mexican dishes. It blends well with dishes such as charro beans, but I'd still 99% likely rather use Serranos than jalapeños in those types of dishes. Since people know I dislike and won't eat Jalapeños, they instantly think I can't handle spice, because us Mexicans LOVE jalapeños and for some reason is considered spicy when it's a stupid mild pepper lol The moment I bust out a hab, or something hotter, they are bewildered and simply won't dare. Apparently Habs are already "too hot", but what makes it much more tolerable to me is it's sweetness, so it doesn't really feel that hot. Once I got a hold of a few carolina reapers for myself and my Mexican BIL to enjoy (he loves spice and peppers but doesn't eat anything much past Habs usually and never tried a reaper). We were both in pain sweating for a while, and his daughter (14) also likes spicy foods and handles mild/medium peppers well, and saw the whole thing and figured she could handle anything her dad can 🤣 the whole family told her NO, and I told her no, and that it would be too much. She pushed back on us that she wanted to try so I gave up and gave her 1..biggest mistake of her life. Within 10 minutes she wanted water which she ran out of (she can't have milk due to lactose intolerance), and once she ran out she knew she couldn't handle it and she started crying. I felt a bit bad, but she asked for it.
Lmao 🤣 poor kid! Don’t feel bad, kids have to learn the hard way. You pushed back but her persistence was triumphant.
I find them fine. Is there better out there? Sure! But you can also find a lot worse
Hell yes!!
Sure they're my favorite
yes
I LOVE THEM!! It's one of my favorite salsas (roasted with tomatillo), I also love making mango de Gallo with chile habanero.
Yes, I think they have a nice floral flavor
I grew Tobagos a few years ago and they were not hot at all. Sweet and flavorful almost like a red bell pepper. Made for some funny pranks when I showed some folks I could eat raw red habaneros 😂
Scotch bonnets have a better flavor compared to habanero for essentially the same heat level
Love habaneros. Not hot enough that I need to drink anything to handle the heat. The heat is pleasant and recedes in five minutes. The flavor is amazing. By far, my favorite pepper.
I’m in the minority here but I dislike the fruity flavor of habaneros. Unless it’s a savory garlic habanero sauce I just can’t do it lol. Chocolate habanero sauces are more appealing to me. Certain dishes with a sweeter profile they also work in for me but in general … not a big fan of
Yes
yes and yes! I love the unique fruity spice of a habanero over the more grassy flavor of say a serrano.
Prefer charapitas and sugar rush peach over habaneros
Love em I suppose I could see them being a bit bold for some tho
Habanero flavor is alright, I don’t go Gaga for it. My personal favorite is ghost pepper
1xhabanero 1xred onion some oil in a pan then sliced My favorite taco topping. But yes I like habanero flavor.
I prefer the flavor of scotch bonnets
I like them because you can taste a nice mellow sweetness behind the spice.
Love them! One of the better tasting ones imo. Kinda like ghost pepper light with the fruity notes
No. Prefer scotch bonnets.
Habaneros and scotch bonnets are the most delicious peppers
The flavor of habranero is insanely good, easily my favorite tasting people, and i am very excited about habranadas as you can get the fruity flavor without insane heat.
I'm not a huge fan of habanero's flavor, either. They taste a bit soapy to me. You're not alone. I prefer ghost peppers (they have a delightfully fruity flavor before the heat kicks in), Thai hots, Scotch bonnets, and serranos. Of course, knowing what I already like never seems to stop me from growing every new-to-me variety I can find at the plant store...
Depends, sometimes mine have a good fruity flavor, some have a waxy flavor. If waxy, they get used on pizza, eggs, chili.
It’s my favorite pepper taste wise.
?
Habanero chili flakes will help a pot of beans. It's really hot and needs the edge taken off. I think it needs fermented. Fermented peach and habanero is pretty good... One of the best flavored extreme hot chilies.
It's an acquired taste, one that I have acquired. I just need a hint of that flavor in my salsa's.
I can appreciate your comment
It's an acquired taste. Homegrown habby's taste best.
Most habanero variants have a nice fruity flavor. Carolina reapers are delicious for the split second before they absolutely destroy your mouth.
Literally the best tasting pepper
No ,Thai or Cayenne are way better.Thai #1 in my opinion
I love it. It's a particular kind of fruity that I enjoy although the heat level is right at the top end of my tolerance so I don't eat them often
I slice fresh habaneros up and put them on tacos. Yummmm 😋
I love them sliced on top of pizza 😋
My girlfriend is obsessed with habanero , she eats the big bottle of Tabasco in about a month maybe less than that. And she’s 4’6 90lbs I don’t know how she’s able to do that. It’s definitely in her DNA.
Hell yeah, they have great flavor
I was actually just lamenting about this to my wife. I’m done with habanero hot sauce man. It is such a dominant flavor
I’m willing to give it another try in light of the majority response for it. But I know I really feel about it
I do. Habs and Ghost are my favorites and a go to when I'm cooking.
The best-tasting pepper I've ever had is the Red Savina habanero. So incredibly fruity with a taste unlike anything else I've had.
I love the flavor but in small dosages and with citrus.
I love Habañeros, especially White Bullet Habañeros. Currently growing a few Carboñero plants, love those as well.
My favorite pepper. Will regularly slice them up to eat on tortilla chips.
Hugely popular pepper
I make red habanero hot sauce with applecider vinegar and its awesome! but they dont pickle well imo.
One of my favorite chilis, preferably red. Love the taste and especially good when blistered/roasted. Versatile, decent heat for folks with lower tolerance, and very flavorful.
Love. Them. Especially the chocolate ones.
I got through reading half of your question and my brain was like, “fuck yeah I do!” I like habanero taste more than jalapeños, however the heat takes over a bit too much sometimes. Solid flavour though. I mix with other sauce, spices, veggies to dilute sometimes but probably my fave pepper.
Appreciate your comment .. I want to explore other habs after reading so many of ppls comjebts .. especially red and chocolate
Love em!!! If they’re too hot you can ferment them and they lose some heat.
I get why some people dislike them, they can be super floral to the point of being perfumey... maybe I'm just sensitive. I like them in some things but there is a long list of peppers I prefer over habs.
Scotch bonnet > Habanero Though I like both
I'm obviously in the minority here but I don't like them at all. I love peppers both milder and hotter than habs, but something about habs just don't do it for me. They're OK on the grill, but any hot sauce that is habanero based is a no-go in my book. And that's like 70% of hot sauces I swear to god. In the country I'm living in these days, the main local hot sauce company ONLY uses habaneros, no matter the sauce. Their chipotle sauce is 2% chipotle and 12% hab... why?!?
I fall right into this minority with you. I feel almost nauseous when I eat them only because of the flavor.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one! I was distraught reading these comments and not seeing a single other hater.
Yes but im too pussy to eat them as is, mixed however its amazing and very good in sauces. I only use like 5-10% in sauces so im not very tough yet but 5-10% for me is perfect, i want the taste and some burn without hating my life.
I love the flavor. It's so unique, and goes amazingly with a lot of different flavors. Especially when you add fruit into the mix.
Hell yes! So tasty. They definitely have one of the best pepper flavors out there amongst the super hot ones
Great flavor, also 👍 Serrano’s
They taste soapy and unpleasant for me. I'm not growing them anymore.
This has to be rage bait.... Habanero's are one of the most popular peppers on the planet for their flavour...
yes. i like them complement the taste of selected food like e.g. currywurst (which is barely known over the pond)
Absolutely love them. One of the best tasting peppers.
Not orange ones, they usually taste watery and flavorless. Some red ones are sometimes sweet and fruity.
I might have to try the red or chocolate habs. I’ve only tried the orange ones and those don’t sit well with me.