uses Due to the thick flesh and the high moisture content, drying of peppers solely with sunlight is not as effective as with other species of Capsicum. A closed drying tunnel can reduce the moisture of 80 kilograms of fresh rocoto to 6.4 kilograms of dried rocoto. Origin and distribution Capsicum pubescens is native to Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador, dating to pre-Incan times. Traces of its presence have been found in the Guitarrero Caves. The existence of Capsicum pubescens was documented by ancient Peruvians of the Paracas, Nazca, Moche, and Chimu cultures, through textiles, ceramics, and domestic remains. Capsicum pubescens is likely to belong to the oldest domesticated plants in the Americas, its domestication dating back to 6000 BC. Capsicum pubescens is believed to have evolved from other, more primitive wild Capsicum species occurring in the same area. Of all the domesticated species of peppers, this is the least widespread and genetically furthest away from all others. It is reproductively isolated from other species of the genus Capsicum and forms a distinct genetic lineage. In the early 1900's Capsicum pubescens was introduced to Indonesia where it is now grown along other Capsicum species. The routes of introductions remain unclear, as Capsicum pubescens is found on multiple Indonesian islands. A white flower mutant of Capsicum pubescens is widely distributed in West and Central Java, which differentiates it from the normally purple flowering plants.Capsicum pubescens is rare outside of Central America, being found in cultivation primarily in Bolivia and Peru where it likely originated. It is commonly cultivated from Mexico to Peru, as well as in Indonesia. The plants are usually grown at small scale in courtyards and family gardens, and only surpluses reach markets. Given its cold tolerance, Capsicum pubescens grows at higher elevations than other species, and cannot survive the tropical heat in the lowlands. However, Capsicum pubescens is not frost-tolerant and requires a long vegetation period of about 9 months. These climate requirements are the main challenges for introducing it to other locations. Alongside the climatic difficulties, the European cuisine has few uses for Capsicum pubescens fruits. Cultivation Production The Viru and Lambayeque valleys are the main production areas, 1000 km north of the capital of Peru. In the Netherlands, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers share more than 90% gross area of greenhouse production. Between April and November, C. pubescens is grown in greenhouses in the Netherlands. In the rest