Manzano (also known as Tree Pepper, Chile Peron, Chile Caballo, and Chile Ciruelo) is a Spanish word meaning “apple”. It is pronounced: mahn zah noh. Manzano chiles are relatives of the hot and spicy South American rocoto peppers. Manzano’s are most often used in their fresh form because the pods are thick and difficult to dry. The manzano apple pepper is unusual in that it has black seeds. It is resistant to low temperatures and is generally grown at high altitudes. It turns to a yellow-orange, then red color when reaching maturity. The Manzano pepper typically rates between 6,000 and 40,000 Scoville units on the Scoville heat index.