Capsicum annuum.

The hot version of the famous Hungarian wax pepper — sister variety of the Hungarian Sweet Banana Pepper, sharing the same banana silhouette and the same golden yellow waxy skin, but with a fiery character on top. Hungary is one of the world's great pepper-and-paprika countries — culture there exploded after the introduction of American peppers in the 16th century (probably via the Ottoman Turkish traders who occupied part of the country at the time), to the point that today Hungarian paprika (a spice obtained from sweet varieties dried and ground) is protected as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) within the European Union.

Hungary produces its paprikas at different heat levels (édes sweet, csípős hot, félédes half-sweet, erős very hot), and it's precisely in the erős — hot — category that this Yellow Wax Hot pepper finds its cultural place. On the Scoville scale, it sits at about 5,000 to 10,000 units — moderately hot, halfway between the jalapeño and the serrano already described.

Compact well-held plant 50 to 60 cm tall, particularly productive. Long conical fruits 10 to 15 cm, with lustrous skin of a beautiful golden yellow (the famous "waxy" look that gives the type its name), which take on an orange tint then scarlet red at full maturity. Fleshy flesh, thicker than that of the jalapeño or serrano, with a fruity, lightly sweet flavour that balances the heat — it's precisely this sweet/fire contrast that makes the Hungarian pepper's culinary signature.

A thousand traditional Hungarian and Eastern European uses: pickled in vinegar in jars of savanyúság (Hungarian pickles); sliced in rounds on sandwiches and lángos (Hungarian fried flatbreads); chopped into gulyás for a hot touch; at the heart of Erős Pista ("Strong Steve"), the famous hot pepper paste that accompanies all everyday Hungarian cooking; stuffed as töltött paprika (the Hungarian analogue of the Mexican chile relleno); or dried and ground into homemade hot paprika (to keep in an opaque airtight jar).

Grower's tip: Like all peppers, indoor start 8 to 10 weeks before last frost, at 25-28 °C on a heat mat. Transplant once nights are stable above 12 °C (early to mid-June in Québec). The Hungarian Yellow Wax pepper has the particularity of being a little more tolerant of cool nights than tropical peppers (a legacy of its selection in the Hungarian continental climate), which makes it one of the best choices for the northern regions of Québec. Harvest at different stages depending on use: bright yellow for fresh use and acid marinades (the heat is present but the bitterness absent), orange at mid-ripening for cooking, deep red for Erős Pista paste and ground paprika. Beware of confusion with the Sweet Banana — clearly label the plants in the garden, because outwardly the two varieties are nearly indistinguishable before biting into the fruit.

• Open-pollinated. Hungarian heirloom variety. Largely self-fertile, but crossings possible with other Capsicum annuum nearby, so isolate or bag the flowers for seed saving. Particularly important to isolate from the Sweet Banana to avoid surprise hybrids the following year.
• Height: 50 to 60 cm.
• Maturity: 65 to 75 days after transplant for yellow fruits, 80 to 90 days for red.
• Exposure: full sun, warmth.
• Rich, well-drained, warm soil. Space plants 40 to 50 cm apart.
• Indoor start 8 to 10 weeks before last frost. Transplant once all risk of frost is past (early to mid-June in Québec). A little more tolerant of cool nights than other peppers.