The Spicy Datil Pepper Is a Local Florida Favorite
In partnership with: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Datil peppers are a hot commodity in St. Augustine.
The small yellow-orange peppers add a kick to dishes like stew and chowder and condiments like mustard and honey – making them synonymous with St. Augustine cuisine.
“Datil peppers are really a local tradition,” says Evelyn “Prissy” Fletcher, commercial agriculture agent for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension in St. Johns County.
Although the peppers have a strong local following, little is known about the origin of the datil pepper. There are theories that the peppers originated in China, Chile and Menorca, an island off the coast of Spain. They’ve been linked to other pepper varieties, including an African pepper called a fatalii and an Asian pepper called the yellow lantern chili.
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Regardless of where datil peppers originated, St. Augustine has claimed them as their own. The datil pepper is the official plant of St. Johns County, and it’s rare to find datil peppers growing outside of the small Florida town.
“It’s an heirloom pepper, and growers often collect their own seeds and keep them local,” Fletcher says. “There isn’t a big commercial market outside of the Tri-County Area.” The Tri-County Area consists of St. Johns, Putnam and Flagler counties.
Datil peppers might only grow a few inches long (and some can be as petite as 1/4 inch in length), but these small peppers pack a lot of heat.
Datil peppers range from 100,000 to 300,000 on the Scoville scale, a rating used to measure the spiciness of peppers. Their heat is similar to habanero extra hot peppers but, unlike habaneros, datil peppers have a hint of sweetness, according to David Bearl, co-founder of Datil Dave, makers of datil pepper jams, jellies, seasonings and salts that are sold in retail stores throughout St. Johns County.
“You need to be careful with the heat and be a minimalist when you add datil products to food,” Bearl cautions.
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Hot sauce made with datil peppers is also popular. Sara Hamilton, co-owner of Hamilton Heat Datil Pepper Hot Sauce in St. Augustine, makes a datil pepper hot sauce that can be added to everything including steak, chicken, shrimp, scrambled eggs and even cocktails.
“They do have a sort of sweet hit to them but don’t be fooled – they are hot,” Hamilton says. “Even though datil peppers are very spicy, done correctly, they are very tasty.”
No matter how datil peppers are used, sampling them is a rite of passage in St. Augustine.
“When you’re at a local restaurant, look on the menu for a datil pepper option,” Fletcher says. “And enjoy it with a local microbrew. Bog Brewery makes a great datil beer.”