Re: [CH] Fish Pepper
Steve Ross (snross@mtu.edu)
Thu, 12 Feb 1998 15:13:05 -0500
Sounds very interesting but I think I'll have to wait to retire before I'll
have the patients to deal with such a picky plant.
At 11:15 AM 2/12/98 -0600, you wrote:
>Recently, someone was inquiring about a FISH PEPPER (Capsicum annuum
>var. annuum). I found an interesting article about this chile in
>the book _Heirloom Vegetable Gardening_ by William Woys Weaver [ISBN
>0-8050-4025-0].
>----------------------------------------------------------------
>"The origins of the Fish Pepper are obscure. The Aztecs had a variety of
>pepper called White Fish Chili described in the 1569 _Florentine Codex_
>of Spanish friar Bernardino de Sahaguin. A pepper with this name existed
>in the early nineteenth century, but it is not certain that it was the
>one under discussion. All that has been ascertained thus far is that the
>Fish Pepper shown in color plate 65 was an African-American heirloom
>that began as a sport or mutation of a common serrano pepper sometime
>during the 1870s. Over time it became a fixed variety, but it was never
>sold commercially.
> Seed was acquired by my grandfather from Horace Pippin, who said
>that the variety originated near Baltimore. By 1900, throughout the
>region stretching from Washington to Philadelphia, Fish Peppers were
>raised almost exclusively in the black community for use in oyster and
>crab houses, and especially for dishes using terrapin. It was one of
>those "secret" ingredients favored by cooks and caterers to spike a
>recipe with invisible heat, for the Fish Pepper was used primarily when
>it was white, and it could be dried to retain that color. This feature
>was a culinary plus in the days when cream sauces reigned supreme.
> H. Franklin Hall, chef at Boothby's Hotel in Philadelphia at the turn
>of the century, was a great admirer of the Fish Pepper. His _300 Ways to
>Cook and Serve Shell Fish, Terrapin, Green Turtle_ (1901) is now
>considered a classic by food historians. But the pepper was not
>difficult to find, at least not years ago, because many fish markets
>carried it in conjunction with their other foods, even pickled with
>clams. Today, this pepper is almost forgotten, although it is available
>through the Seed Savers Exchange.
> The plant grows on sprawling bushes about 2 feet tall that are ideal
>for pot culture on a terrace. Since the leaves are variegated with
>patches of white, gray, and dark green, the pepper is a conversation
>piece throughout the season. As the fruit ripens, it changes from white
>with green stripes to orange with brown stripes, then red. Seed can only
>be saved from red pods.
> The Fish Pepper undergoes genetic turmoil every so often, no doubt
>owing to its origin as a mutant. This will express itself in the form of
>weak, top-heavy plants, or occasional sterility. Therefore, seed should
>not be saved from one plant alone but from at least six different
>individuals. Combine this seed at the end of the season so that the
>genetic mix for next6 year's planting is as varied as possible.
>Furthermore, keep the plants within 15 feet, or better, plant them 3
>feet apart in a square so that there is maximum cross-pollination. The
>fish pepper crosses readily with other common garden peppers and will
>spread the mutant gene that causes its distinctive coloration. For seed
>purity, keep it at least 500 feet from the other peppers in the
>vicinity, and select seeds from the LAST seeds to germinate."
>vicinity, and select seeds from the LAST seeds to germinate."
>
>
>====================================================================
>Bob Batson L 39 12 14 N 94 33 16 W
>bob@sky.net Kansas City
>TCS - Mystic Fire Priest USDA zone 5b
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>Under the most controlled conditions, the experimental apparatus will
>do exactly as it pleases.
>
>
>