The red peppadew is a sweet piquante pepper cured in a sweet and sour brine. The result is an adventurous combination of sweet, sharp, savory and spicy flavors. Peppadews are available in both mild and hot varieties, both of which have the crisp texture of the familiar hot pepper. However, the flavor profile is entirely different than a hot pepper and the seeds are always removed.
One of the best ways to serve peppadews is as a quick appetizer. Simply leave them whole and stuff them with goat or feta cheese. They are very versatile and will add a punch of flavor to many types of dishes, too:
- Egg entrees such as omelets, scrambled eggs or quiche
- Sandwiches or burgers
- Pizza
- Pasta
- Chicken or seafood entrees
- With potato or rice side dishes
These unique peppers have not been around for very long. Keep reading to learn how they were discovered!
History of the Peppadew
While it is believed that this particular species of pepper is native of Central America, it became commercially available after a peppadew bush was discovered in Africa.
As the story goes, a businessman farmer saw an unusual bush in the garden of his vacation home in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The bush was shoulder-high and laden with small, bright red fruit which looked like a cross of miniature red peppers and cherry tomatoes. Curious, he bit into one and noted both peppery and sweet tastes, with distinctive flavor.
The farmer saved the seeds from the mother plant and cultivated seedlings. The next step was developing a recipe to process the fruit for commercial sale using a brine of sugar and vinegar. He named the fruit “Peppadew” because it was peppery but also “as sweet as the dew.”
