Dominican Republic

In the Dominican Republic, farmers grow a range of peppers including hot aji picante, Scotch bonnet–type (ají chombo in some contexts), jalapeño, and local small annuum and chinense chilies, alongside sweet cubanela and bell peppers. Production supplies fresh markets and processors for pickled peppers and salsas.

In Dominican cuisine, hot peppers season sancocho (hearty stew), asopao (soupy rice), habichuelas guisadas (stewed beans), and pescado con coco (fish in coconut sauce). Aji picante and Scotch bonnet–type chilies are often sliced into vinegar with onions and oregano to make spicy table condiments poured over meats, fried plantains, and rice. Bottled hot sauces, frequently based on local aji picante and imported habanero or Scotch bonnet, are widely used.

While the country’s peppers are not as internationally branded as some Caribbean neighbors’, they are central to Dominican flavour profiles.