Locoto

Capsicum baccatum, often known as ají or in Bolivia as locoto, is a perennial shrubby pepper of the Solanaceae, one of the five domesticated Capsicum species. It originated in the Andean lowlands and valleys of South America and remains the principal cultivated chili of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Chile, where ancient Moche pottery depicts its fruits. Plants grow 1-1.5 m tall with woody bases, much-branched stems, and ovate to lanceolate green leaves. Flowers are distinctive within Capsicum: white to cream with prominent yellow or green spots at the base of each corolla lobe, and yellow rather than blue anthers. The pendant fruits vary enormously in shape and size, from elongated ají amarillo types to small bishop's-crown forms, ripening yellow, orange, or red, with a characteristic fruity, citrus-like aroma and medium to very high pungency.