THE ANDEAN RED PEPPERS.

The Peruvian Red Peppers are the most common high concentration and key ingredient in the Andean culinary world. Consumption of them have been known from the very early settlers of the Andean mountains, because of their faculty to promote negative energy balance from a combination of metabolic and sensory inputs. Also they were known as powerful enhancers of energy expenditure, fat and carbohydrate oxidation.
The crisp and sweet, red peppers are just the mature green peppers. They contain more than 200% of the daily vitamin C intake. Besides that vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, it helps the proper absorption of iron. As a great source of vitamin B6 and folate, they help to prevent anemia. They are also known as a great supporters of healthy night vision because of its high content in vitamin A.
The capsaicin, the pungent principle in the Andean Rocoto (hot red peppers), are known as a reducers of hunger, stimulators of  thermogenesis, and alterators of the oxidation process. This is one of hottest Peruvian chili peppers. The capsaicin receptor has unique physiological functions in allowing humans to detect the oral burn, regulate core body temperature, and sense external temperature. It is established that marked individual differences exist in the sensitivity to the burn spicy flavor and to the affective interpretation of that sensation, because of its direct relation to consequences of physiological processes, independent of sensory responsiveness.
The appearance of both varieties are very similar, thicker with juicy walls, but the 'Rocoto'has dark brown seeds. No other pepper has seeds of this color nor do they have purple flowers like the 'Rocoto.' In addition, the stems of the plant look hairy which is what gives it the name 'Pubescens.' When you buy them in the market believing that it is the sugary kind, and try to taste it, your mouth is set on fire. This is why 'Rocotos' are mainly used as a condiment, just a little bit to give a kick to some dishes, but in the Andes mountains, some people are used to eat them as apples, straight from the plant. The smaller the 'Rocoto', the hotter flavor is increased. The pepper has three to four forms. The common is thick, somewhat elongated and without a point.
Botanists says that all domestic peppers originated in the Andes where they have an ancient record of use going back thousands and thousands of years. The European invaders took many products from the Andes and introduced them to the Old World where they had a huge impact. The history of the World would be very different had it not been for the Andean potato which allowed populations to boom in many places.
Botanists have described domesticated peppers as belonging to five species. Capsicum annum is the most common and represents most of the chilies known in the world, although the famous 'Tabasco' sauce slowly finding its way onto the South American markets is made from the 'Tabasco' pepper which is capsicum frutescens. The 'Habanero' pepper comes from a different species, the Capsicum chinense, that was came from the tropical lowlands of South America. The Andes is distinguished as having the delightful and fragrant Capsicum baccatum (yellow aji) as its representative and, of course, the famous 'Rocoto'(Capsicum pubescens), that has a flavor that is reminiscent of pine.
Today, in the Andes, the 'Rocoto' continues to be the most commonly consumed of peppers. Many people have a 'Rocoto' plant in their gardens. They just step out of their door and grab one or several from the bush and use them fresh.
"Stuffed Rocotos" that are a very important festival food, is a famous dish from Arequipa, in the South of the Peruvian territory. They are filled with beef, onion and ground peanut mixture, and served with a creamy potato gratin.
In Cuzco, the people talk about there being 3 kinds of 'Rocoto.' The 'Rocoto' from the garden, the common or ordinary one. The 'Rocoto' from Marca Pata, a district in Cuzco's Quispi Canchi province, that is known for being very good and very hot, growing in the upland tropics in small, family plots. And the 'Rocoto' called 'Marate'. This is the hottest of all and is a small, wild pepper of varying shape. When longish it is also called monkey penis (pinguito de mono). The common sauce named 'Llantan' (Uchu-Cuta) is made with 'Rocoto' and the indigenous herb 'Huacatay'.