A prolific producer of small fruits, ¾" wide by 1-2" long, tapering to a blunt point, ripen from green to glossy red. The pods are covered with tiny bumps and wrinkles. The plant is bush-like, small and compact, measuring 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall. Cold tolerant, lending itself to a longer season than the average hot pepper, with resistance to pests and disease.
 
Cultivated by the Pennsylvania Dutch (*Dutch is actually a corruption of Deutsch, i.e. German, not as in from the Netherlands) since the 1880s. The name translates as "chicken heart".
 
Its flavor is described as “stocky” and is considered medium hot. Traditionally used for pickling and making pepper vinegar. The Pennsylvania Dutch cooked and pureed it to make a pepper vinegar, a condiment often sprinkled on sauerkraut. Though its production area has spread across the country, the seeds are still not mainstream; they are listed as a Slow Food USA variety.