[CH] Fish Pepper
Bob Batson (bob@sky.net)
Thu, 12 Feb 1998 11:15:32 -0600 (CST)
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].
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"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."
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Bob Batson L 39 12 14 N 94 33 16 W
bob@sky.net Kansas City
TCS - Mystic Fire Priest USDA zone 5b
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Under the most controlled conditions, the experimental apparatus will
do exactly as it pleases.