Re: [CH] Habs/Scotch Bonnets
Jim Campbell (mwph2hot@indy.net)
Thu, 19 Feb 1998 04:58:02 +0000
Paul,
I'm certainly no expert on the matter- I can't tell you the proper botanical
difference, but can tell you the physical differences.
While in Jamaica, one of our assignments was to visit the Boodles'
Research Station. They were trying very hard to rescue the scotch bonnet
from the general degradation to which all chiles are subject. They were
trying to breed a viral resistant 'true' scotch bonnet in order to build up a
supply of seed. The physical characteristics they were looking for were as
follows- they wanted a pod that had continuous circumfrential canopy about
halfway down the pod. It would have four equal and distinct lobes below this
canopy. It would have the familiar wrinkled appearance as well. They are
usually slightly shorter and squatter than a typical habanaero. While some
habaneros match this description, it is not 'typical' of them. The flavor is
also somewhat different to me, greatly different to them. They accused the
habanero of having no flavor. I did not find them to be nearly as hot as the
habs I grow, though they consider the SB to be quite hot. Fresh out of the
fields, I did not find them to have the same nearly overpowering flavor that a
hab has. These had a much 'lighter' taste that wasn't nearly as fruity as a
hab. Scotch bonnets also come in a much wider variety of colors, though the
hab is catching up.
The plant habit was also different than the habanero. Whereas the leaves
on red habs (especially Savina (tm)) are quite large, the SB had a much
narrower leaf, similar to but even narrower than an orange hab. The plants
seemed to set (or have the potential to set) more fruits than a typical hab.
I hope this has been of some help. You might try getting info from Dave
Anderson, my fellow Jamaican Junketeer. You can find a little more
description in the tech report at my site- provided you don't doze off before
you get to that part :-)
-Jim Campbell
http://www.wildpepper.com