Sidney Beans Stewed with Aji Amarillo Sauce

Even at common mainstream supermarkets a wide variety of chiles has become increasingly available. Fresh, dried, powdered, canned, and puréed versions abound. Gone are the days when our only choices were red pepper flakes, cayenne, and jalapeños—anchos, pasillas, and cascabels can now roam free. But beneath this happy variety lurks a dark secret: there’s some serious chile discrimination going on. Whole chile families are disenfranchised, ignored by grocery stores, forcing shoppers to seek them out in out-of-the-way ethnic markets or on the perilous internet. And that’s if they’re told about them at all.

Capsicum baccatum is one of the five families of chiles. Compared to C. annum—the family of bell peppers, jalapeños, poblanos, and New Mexico chiles—it’s not that well-known. Though if you’ve ever had Peruvian food, there’s a good chance you’ve had the most recognizable of this relatively unknown chile family: aji amarillo.