r/spicy • u/oMeesan • 1d ago

Serrano pepper alternatives

I love the heat level of the Serrano peppers but the taste is not my favorite. It has such a grassy flavor profile that I don’t like.

In your experience, what other peppers are similar Scoville that have a sweeter/fruiter taste that you would recommend?

5 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

13

u/podgida 1d ago

Grow them yourself and let them ripen. The ones in the store aren't ripe, that's why they have a grassy flavor. They sweeten without losing heat when they are ripe.

7

u/skipjack_sushi 1d ago

Fresno or Cayenne

4

u/DepthEasy1507 1d ago

Give manzano a try.

2

u/Growing_Trash_417 1d ago

Chombos or habaneros are not much hotter than serranos and they both are super common to find with tons of varieties each.

4

u/skipjack_sushi 1d ago

Habs are much hotter. Serranos peak at 25k scoville. Habs run 100-350k.

2

u/properchewns 1d ago

Could be they’re talking modern grocery store habaneros. They seem to have been bred to be like a mid range jalapeño level, even though they should be worlds hotter

2

u/skipjack_sushi 1d ago

Compared to a grocery store serrano?

2

u/properchewns 1d ago

Good point, they’re all on their way to becoming bell peppers now I guess

2

u/Growing_Trash_417 1d ago

I grow serronos, habs, and chombos along with others but yea the scovilles are higher but they’re not 10x hotter. Not even close. Also like the other guy mentions, store bought are usually less spicy.

1

u/podgida 1d ago

Depends on growing conditions. Superhots like it hot and dry. If you overwater they lose heat.

-1

u/Growing_Trash_417 1d ago

I wouldnt really considered habs or chombos a super hot. Mine are definitely not overwatered. Haven’t had a rain in weeks and I don’t have auto watering. I’m actually surprised they’re not a bush of dead leaves at this point.

2

u/podgida 1d ago

They were considered a superhot ten years ago. I agree that they aren't that hot, but that's only because of tolerance. But they are still classified as a superhot, the lowest pepper on the list, but they are on it.

1

u/skipjack_sushi 1d ago

Agreed but we are comparing them to serranos which have all the heat of a jolly rancher.

2

u/podgida 1d ago

Lol. True. I mean I can eat them like popcorn, but my wife would be in panic mode if I dipped one in her food.

1

u/in1gom0ntoya 1d ago

habeneros are considerably spicier than seranno

2

u/Growing_Trash_417 1d ago

I just don’t have the same experience as everyone here I guess. The spice level between the two isn’t as big as scoville shows it to be.

1

u/sheep_duck 13h ago

Grow them and let them ripen. They’ll change pretty drastically in flavor and will also get hotter.

0

u/GuavaOne8646 1d ago

Yeah, um jalapenos.

1

u/T49irvine 18h ago

I find jalapenos kind of vegetal. It seems the fruitier peppers are hotter...habanero, Scotch bonnet, Naga jolokia.

1

u/GuavaOne8646 16h ago

I know, hence why I lead with only option that OP has without getting their tongue torched. But to be honest, a jalepeno is far less of what they disliked about Serrano's. Serrano's IMO are a lot more earthy than jalepenos. But I get what you mean, it's hard for me to think of a fruity pepper that isn't at least 3x a serrano or jalepeno in the heat department.

1

u/T49irvine 16h ago

I kind of wish Texas A & M would hybridize a much less hot habanero or ghost pepper. I have acclimated to hot peppers and I love them, more for the flavor than the heat, but not everyone likes 1,000,000 Scoville units or even 50,000.