This pepper is used to season dishes and is an important ingredient for sofrito, a sauce used in several Latin American cuisines. The majority of ají dulce found in Latino markets in the Northeast is imported from Latin America. In the tropics, this plant can grow as a perennial, although most of the commercial production is with annual systems.

The history of this pepper is obscure, but since wild peppers are naturally hot this variety was probably developed over the years among farmers by simple selection of seed from milder and milder fruits. The fruit of aji dulce can be used green or ripe, and it can be seeded and frozen for use over the winter, a technique that also preserves its rich flavor much better than drying. It is a small, light green pepper that turns red (or yellow) if left long enough on the plant. It has the shape and size of a habanero pepper without the intense heat. Occasionally, there can be some ají dulce fruit that is pungent, probably due to out-crossing with other hot pepper plants. In the tropics, this plant can grow as a perennial, although most of the commercial production is with annual systems.