What are Hot Paper Lantern peppers?
Habaneros are known for their tropical flair – Caribbean sweet is their thing. So, too, for the Hot Paper Lantern, with a few distinct differences. The Hot Paper Lantern is a tropical-sweet habanero-type pepper with even bigger heat (150,000 to 400,000 Scoville heat units) than a common habanero (100,000 to 350,000 SHU.) And where traditional habaneros perform best in warmer climates, the Hot Paper Lantern boasts a shorter growing season, making it a perfect habanero for cooler Northern climates where the growing season is not as long.
Hot Paper Lantern fast facts
| Scoville heat units (SHU) | 150,000 – 400,000 |
| Median heat (SHU) | 275,000 |
| Jalapeño reference point | 19 to 160 times hotter |
| Species | Capsicum Chinense |
| Origin | Peru |
| Use | Culinary |
| Size | Up to 4 inches long, conical |
| Flavor | Sweet, Smoky |
How hot is the Hot Paper Lantern?
As a habanero-type pepper, the Hot Paper Lantern packs a significant punch. Common habaneros (the orange variety) have a Scoville heat range from 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville heat units. The Hot Paper Lantern starts slightly higher at its floor and reaches a little higher at its ceiling (150,000 – 400,000 SHU). It’s not quite as hot as some other habanero cultivars, like the Red Savina or chocolate habanero, but it’s still an upgrade over the most common type.
Compared to our jalapeño reference point, it is 19 to 160 times spicier than a typical jalapeño pepper, depending on where the compared chilies sit on their heat spectrum.
What do these chilies look like?
They look as you’d expect a habanero, just a little more pronounced. These are elongated, with a lantern-like shape (some say similar to a pendant-shaped paper lantern, like the name). They are just a little longer than a common habanero (3 to 4 inches) and slightly more exaggerated in their length. They age from green to orange and, finally, to a beautiful orange/red.
What do Hot Paper Lantern peppers taste like?
Their flavor is also “a little more” than a common habanero. They tend to taste a little sweeter, but that’s likely due to a slower heat build with the pepper. The Hot Paper Lantern’s spiciness doesn’t attack quite as hard out the gate, allowing the chili’s natural sweetness, and light smokiness, to take more of a center stage upon first bite.
How can you use these chilies?
As mentioned, Hot Paper Lantern peppers have a shorter growing season than other habaneros, so those in Northern climates looking to grow chilies in a garden should give the Hot Paper Lantern a try. They also do well in small spaces because of the compactness of the plant itself, so container gardening works here. Together, this makes for one of the easier chili types to grow successfully, even in uncommon areas.
In the kitchen, the Hot Paper Lantern, with its thin walls, is a very good option for drying. From there, it can be crushed into powder or flakes or rehydrated for future use.
The sweetness makes it an excellent pickling habanero, too (see our pickled habaneros recipe here to get started). The sweetness pairs well with the tangy pickled flavor, and they are delicious used atop sandwiches (for those that can handle habanero heat.)
And, like all habaneros, this chili is perfect when used fresh for hot sauces and extra-hot salsas, particularly those with a tropical flavor. There, its sweetness pairs perfectly with the sweetness of tropical fruit like mango or pineapple.
Where can you buy Hot Paper Lantern peppers?
While habanero peppers are growing more common in mainstream supermarkets, it’s typically the common orange type that you find. You don’t find these more unique types, like the Hot Paper Lantern, in stores. At least, they are not labeled as such. Check local pepper farms or grow these beauties at home. Hot Paper Lantern seeds are easy to buy online.
Given their faster growing season and compact plant size, this is definitely a chili pepper of interest for even amateur gardeners in atypical climates for growing chilies.
Must-read related posts
- The Hot Pepper List: We profile over 150 chilies. Search our list by pepper name, heat level, flavor, and more.
- Carrot Habanero Sauce Recipe: The earthy sweetness of carrots pairs quite well with the sweet flavor of habaneros (and habanero-type peppers.)
- The Hottest Peppers In The World: Discover the top of the Scoville scale and how hot chilies can really get.
I have some purported Hot Paper Lantern peppers per the local nursery; I just picked the bulk of them and they look like your description in the article, but they do not look like the picture posted with the article. They are wrinkled and short like an habanero pepper, but a little larger. I haven’t tried eating one of them yet.