A Kaleidoscope of Cultivars

Lavender Pepper

There seem to be two different cultivars sold under the name "lilac pepper." The easier one to find is an otherwise standard-looking bell pepper that starts out a very dark purplish color - almost black in places. However, this one was sold to me as a lavender pepper. Like other darker-colored bell peppers I've found, the taste of the flesh, especially when not fully ripened, is a touch stronger than a standard bell pepper. I still don't have a great way to describe it; I usually want to call it a bit richer and more complex. Slightly more bitterness, but not sour. I generally pick these before they ripen to red, because once ripe they're pretty indistinguishable from a regular bell pepper and I want to preserve the uniqueness. The stronger flavor makes them nice to eat fresh, but I usually don't saute or otherwise cook with them because I don't really like the bitterness going into things like fried rice.

For me this plant grew strangely low and bushy, and only ever grew a few peppers at a time.

Lilac Pepper

The second, which I'll call a lilac pepper, is much longer than a normal bell pepper, almost like an oversized poblano. It starts a strange, slightly ugly tan-and-purple striped appearance, but matures into an absolutely beautiful bright purple before turning red. The flesh is extremely pale, almost white. In contrast to the lavender pepper, it's very mild. When unripened it's not particularly sweet either, giving it an almost bizarrely nonpresent flavor. I want to say the mild flavor makes it good for salads, but honestly I prefer my salads to actually taste like something. I'll update when I've eaten one cooked and when I've tried one fully ripened.

Are we finally getting one of these turning color?

Jimmy Nardellow Pepper

Nardello or Jimmy Nardello peppers were supposedly brought to the US by an Italian immigrant of the same name. Technically bred from hot peppers and not bells, they're long, thin, and capable of reaching a few hundred Scoville. Mostly, though, they're extremely sweet. Definitely let these ones ripen, as the (very light) green pepper is unremarkable, but fully ripened to bright red it becomes the sweetest pepper I've ever tasted. I'd almost call them sugary; many advertisements say fruity, though to me that implies a citrusy flavor that isn't present. Excellent snacking pepper, held back only slightly by their size, as they're a little too big to just toss in your mouth. Cut into thin rings they would make a unique topping. Eating them can be a somewhat bizarre experience; I don't know if I'm picking up on the undercurrents of the taste of a hot pepper, or perhaps noticing tiny pings of remnant capsaicin, but either way whenever I take a big bite of one of these my brain sends me a WARNING: BRACE FOR SPICY notice that doesn't turn out necessary. It's almost adrenaline-inducing, like watching a horror movie and waiting for a jumpscare.