Inca Lost - 15 seeds

Inca Lost is an interesting Peruvian variety that combines old tradition, strong heat and practical small fruits. The peppers have a rounded tip and a characteristic upright position on the plant.

One of the great advantages is the easy drying of the whole fruit . This allows the harvest to be preserved for the winter and gradually used as whole dried pepper or ground hot spice.

Characteristics of the variety

• Variety: Inca Lost
• Botanical species: Capsicum annuum
• Origin: Peru
• Type: Chili pepper
• Hotness: 30,000–70,000 SHU
• Fruit length: 3–4 cm
• Shape: Small, with a rounded tip
• Color: Green → red
• Fruit position: Upright
• Taste: Aromatic and spicy
• Drying: Excellently suitable
• Interesting feature: Vreeken's describes it as resembling a predecessor to the popular Asian Rawit pepper.

🔥 Anger

30,000–70,000 SHU

Inca Lost offers serious, but not extreme, heat . The range of 30,000 to 70,000 units on the Scoville scale puts it well above the standard Jalapeño and makes it suitable for lovers of distinctly spicy peppers.

🌱 Sowing and growing

Sowing: January – April
Location: Indoors
Germination temperature: 20–30°C
Greenhouse: recommended for higher yields
Planting outdoors: around the end of May
Support: taller plants can be tied to stakes
Pruning: possible to obtain a more compact shape.

In the fall, the plants can be moved to pots and placed on a bright windowsill where they can continue fruiting.

🍴 Culinary app

The small size and easy drying make the Inca Lost particularly suitable for drying whole fruits, hot spices, chili flakes, spicy sauces, marinades, soups and Asian or South American dishes .

For this variety, drying is a particularly interesting application – the small fruits are very easy to dry and can be stored for use throughout the winter.

💡 Tip from Urban Botaniks: With Inca Lost, I would emphasize the ease of drying and the old Peruvian origin . Let the fruits ripen completely to red, then dry them whole. This way you can store them for a long time and, if necessary, crush them into flakes or grind them immediately before use.