The Datil is an exceptionally hot pepper, a variety of the species Capsicum chinense (syn. Capsicum sinense). Datils are similar to habaneros but have a sweeter, fruitier flavor. Their level of spiciness may be anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 scoville units.
Datil peppers are cultivated throughout the United States and elsewhere, but the majority are produced in St. Augustine, Florida, where they were introduced from Cuba in the early 1880s by S. B. Valls, a jelly manufacturer. Datil peppers are used by the Minorcan community in many recipes including pilau, clam chowder, sausage, and jelly. They are distinctive for having flavor as well as heat, and since the 1980s have been grown and processed commercially in St. Augustine--and have also become the subject of extravagant untruths about their origin in the Ancient City.
