Habanada is an open-pollinated pepper variety that produces unique, heatless habaneros with a sweet, fruity and citrus-like flavor. The result of a natural mutation that rendered the habanero—a pepper normally known for its fruity flavor and pounding heat—completely without heat, the Habanada pepper is a godsend to folks who love the unique flavors of the habanero, but not necessarily its burn. With these heatless pepper varieties, we often get customers asking, "Yeah, but is it totally heatless?" and with this one (and Nadapeno) we can say emphatically, "Yes!" In fact, our 4-year-old eats them by the handful. Just be sure if you're growing traditional habaneros, to tell your little one that there's a difference. All of our kids have at one time or another, wandered into a really hot variety. It's never good. The origin of the Habanada pepper reportedly traces back to New Mexico, where the unique plant was discovered by researchers measuring heat levels in peppers. The researchers found that while the peppers looked like habaneros, with their bright orange color and glossy skins, they didn't even register on the Scoville scale. Seed for this perplexing, heatless habanero was sent to graduate student and aspiring plant breeder, Michael Mazourek, who made it the focus of his doctoral research. Mazourek soon discovered that while this new habanero was indeed heatless, it wasn't the holy grail one might hope for, at least not in its existing form. It produced plants with a range of flavor profiles, some sweet and fruity, others a little "off", some just plain bad. As such, he embarked on a multiyear effort to backcross the line to traditional habaneros in order to impart their classic, fruity flavor while carrying along the heatless trait. The resulting line, named Habanada, boasted the melon-like, tropical aroma one would expect from a habanero, but now with a lingering sweetness, and true to its new name, no heat. The unique pepper quickly gained popularity with chefs worldwide and became one of the most talked-about ingredients in the years that followed. Thankfully, you don't have to dine at a Michelin star restaurant to enjoy the delicious flavor of the Habanada pepper. You can grow them yourself and enjoy them at peak freshness right from your own garden. The Habanada pepper matures approximately 100 days after transplant. Each packet contains a minimum of 10 seeds.
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