The Criollo pepper is long, thin-fleshed, and extremely popular. In fact, Ecuadorians just call it ají – which is Spanish for chili pepper. It is one of South America’s staple chilis, like Ají Amarillo (also known as Escabeche). The amount of heat you get is medium: it won't blow your head off, but it doesn’t shy away from giving you a little kick!