The Cerezo pepper, a cross between the Pequin pepper and the Vegas Serrano, has a smoky flavor with a hint of fruitiness that complements its medium heat level. Cerezo, Spanish for “cherry tree,” produces pods that start off green and ripen to a deep cherry red color, while the plants grow to be about three to four feet. Their shape is similar to the Pequin pepper, but Cerezo peppers are larger. Cerezo peppers have a medium heat level as they average about 40,000 to 60,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), which is similar to Cayenne, Chile de Arbol, and Tabasco peppers. They can be dried and ground to be used as a spice. Cerezo peppers can be used in all sorts of salsas and hot sauces to provide medium spice level with robust flavor. In fact, the Cerezo’s close relative, the Pequin pepper, is one of the main ingredients in the world famous Cholula hot sauce.
