How is the pungency of chillies measured?
The pungency of chillies is generally expressed in Scoville Heat Units (SHU), with the scale ranging from 0 to over 2 million! However, this is a somewhat subjective measurement because to determine the heat level, volunteers are given samples of chillies which are subsequently diluted with water until pungency can no longer be detected. Unfortunately such tests are not very reliable as a degree of tolerance is quickly developed.
More recently a scientific method has been devised, known as the “High-performance Liquid Chromatography test (HPLC), which measures the type and quantity of capsaicinoids present in the sample to measure the pungency of chillies. Capsaicinoids are a group of chemical compounds found in chilli peppers known for their pungent and spicy taste. They are responsible for the characteristic sensation of heat when hot peppers are consumed.
Bear in mind though that Scoville Heat Units have quite a wide heat range within a species and especially when you start dealing with specific cultivars.
For example, the Trinidad Maruga Scorpion, one of the hottest peppers in the world, rates 800 000 to over 1 300 000 Scoville Heat units (SKU). As a member of Capsicum chinense, it shares characteristics with other renowned peppers like the Carolina Reaper which has a broad SHU range between 1 400,000 to 2 200,000 Scoville units, so only use SHU’s as a guide.
There are four main species of chilli which are the most well-known
It is estimated that there are around 4 000 different types of chilli peppers in the world, and Sweet Peppers and Chilli Peppers both belong to the genus Capsicum, which contains more than 35 species. The three most well-known species are: Capsicum annuum, Capsicum chinense, Capsicum baccatum and Capsicum pubescens.
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Capsicum annuum:
Capsicum annuum is the most common, widespread and economically important species of chilli pepper, and includes both mild varieties like Sweet Bell Peppers and Pepadew, and the fiery hot Tepin Chilli. Other popular varieties include: Poblano, Cayenne, Pimiento, Paprika, Jalapeno, and Serrano peppers.
Archaeological and genetic evidence indicates that the wild ancestors of Capsicum annuum evolved in northern South America. Today, this species has spread across the world and is widely cultivated, not only for its culinary applications, but also for its health benefits, and ornamental value in the garden.
This species has been modified through breeding for certain traits, which allows the fruits be used in multiple applications. These include in food, traditional medicine, cosmetics, and even in self-defence pepper spray.
The plant produces fruits of many colours including red, green, and yellow, often with a pungent taste.
Over the years thousands of varieties and cultivars have emerged, and the fruits of this species are now integral ingredients in the cuisines of many countries worldwide.
Capsicum chinense
The scientific species name Capsicum chinense "Chinese capsicum" is misleading as all Capsicum species originated in the New World, and Capsicum chinense, commonly known as a "habanero-type pepper", is native to the Americas.
In terms of physical appearance, Capsicum chinense has a broad range of variation. Some plants, such as the habanero, grow into small, compact bushes, while others are more typical of the species, growing bushy and upright.
The peppers themselves also vary greatly in appearance. Some peppers are elongated with a lantern, bonnet or bell shape. Others are small and rounded, similar to the look of birdshot or pellets. The colour of the fruit also varies greatly and can be red, orange, yellow, brown or purple. The plants are popular with gardeners for the ornamental value of their bright fruits.
The varieties are well known for their unique flavours and, in many cases, exceptional heat. The hottest peppers in the world are members of this species, with Pepper X scoring 2.69 million Scoville Heat Units in 2023 to become the hottest chilli pepper in the world.
Perhaps the most unique characteristic of this particular species is the distinct aroma given off by these chillies. Even the hottest give off a sweet and fruity aroma, which is most often described as being similar to that of an apricot.
Capsicum chinense and its varieties have been used for millennia in Yucatán and Caribbean-style cooking. Because of their significant amount of heat they are cooked and used mainly in stews and sauces, as well as marinades for meats and chicken.
Popular and well-known Capsicum chinense varieties include: Pepper X, 7 Pot, Bhut Jolokia, Fatalii, Habanero, Carolina Reaper, Scotch Bonnet, and Trinidad Scorpion.
Capsicum baccatum
This species has its origins in Peru and southern Bolivia, and it is commonly referred to as” Ají”, which translates to “chilli pepper” in Spanish, therefore, many of the Capsicum baccatum varieties are preceded by the word ají, for example Ají Amarillo.
They are famous for their strangely shaped fruits and the plants are bred and sold for their ornamental value. Literally translated, “baccatum” means berry-like. This is one of the best ways to differentiate this Capsicum variety from others, as the pods have a physical appearance that is, if not quite like that of a berry, are certainly more berry-like than others. The pods of this Capsicum are smallish and squat, and as they mature they become wrinkled and display vibrant shades of orange, yellow and red.
The peppers of this species also tend to be very pungent, and breeding practices have led to thousands of different varieties, ranging widely in size, shape, colour, heat and flavour.
Even in the hottest peppers of this species, there’s a taste that is surprisingly sweet, creating an intriguing overall flavour that has berry-like undertones, with some having a lovely citrusy or fruity flavour.
Chilli Amarillo is one of the essential ingredients of Peruvian and Bolivian cuisines where it is used in many dishes, sauces, and as a condiment. In Peru, the chillies are mostly used fresh, and in Bolivia they are generally dried and ground. In Peruvian cuisine chilli Amarillo, together with red onion and coriander is considered part of the 'Holy Trinity' that is used as a base to build flavour into soups, stews, sauces, and other dishes.
This species of chili pepper includes the following cultivars: Amarillo, Bishop's Crown, Lemon Drop, Brazilian Starfish, Peppadew and Piquanté.
Capsicum frutescens
Capsicum frutescens likely originated in South or Central America. It spread quickly throughout the tropical and subtropical regions in this area where it still grows wild today. Botanists are undecided whether this is an independent chilli species or not, as the wild Capsicum frutescens has genetic proximity to the cultivated pepper Capsicum chinense.
The fruits typically grow erect and are usually very small and pungent, starting out a pale yellow and maturing to a bright red, but can also be other colours. Capsicum frutescens has a smaller variety of shapes compared to other Capsicum species and is a favourite to produce ornamental strains because of its large quantities of erect peppers growing in colourful ripening patterns.
The varieties of Capsicum frutescens are most commonly found in Southeast Asian dishes or added to spice mixtures. The best-known varieties of this species in South Africa are Tabasco, and Piri piri, also called African Bird's Eye or African Devil,
How hot is hot when it comes to chilli peppers
Many chillies have held the record for the "World's Hottest Chilli" by the Guinness World Records. For many years following the development of the Scoville Heat Unit Scale (SHU) the Orange Habanero was considered to be the hottest pepper in the world, ranging from 100 000 to 350 000 SHU. It was dethroned in 2011 by the Naga Viper, a very hot chilli developed in England, with a rating of 1 382,118 Scoville Heat Units (SHU).
Naga Viper was surpassed in 2017 by the Carolina Reaper with 1 400,000 to 2 200,000 SHU. The Carolina Reaper was dethroned in 2023 by the latest world record holder Pepper X which has a staggeringly high SHU of 2 693 million. Some individual Pepper X peppers have even been recorded to peak over 3 million!
Breeders constantly crossbreed subspecies in an attempt to create cultivars that will break new records on the Scoville scale.
Popular Chilli varieties in South Africa
Below is a selection of the very mellow, and the most fiery chilli peppers for South African gardeners from the four most popular species.
Let's review some of these popular peppers, according to their Scoville Heat Unit rankings.
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Chilli Peppadew Picture courtesy Luke from flickrPeppadew Chilli Pepper (Capsicum baccatum)
“Peppadew” is a registered trademark for the small round peppers discovered in South Africa in the early 1990’s. Although this pepper is sometimes described as a cross between a pepper and a tomato, this description is not botanically accurate, and refers only to the resemblance in colour and size between red peppers and cherry tomatoes.
Although Capsicum baccatum is rated between 30,000 and 50,000 on the SHU scale, the Peppadew only averages around 1 177.
Peppadews offer a unique combination of sweetness and soft heat, making them ideal for those who prefer milder flavours. These versatile peppers are commonly used in salads, sandwiches, pasta, and pizzas. They are often sold pickled or preserved and can be stuffed with cheese or used as toppings. Additionally, they enhance sauces and go well with meats, pairing especially well with Mediterranean and South African dishes.
Chilli Tabasco Picture courtesy Bernard DUPONT from flickrTabasco Chilli Pepper (Capsicum frutescens)
Originating in Mexico and named after the Mexican state of Tabasco, this chilli is known mainly for being the main ingredient in the spicy sauce it lends its name to. Tabasco rates 30 000 to 50 000 on the Scoville Heat Unit Scale (SHU), which is considered to be moderately hot.
Tabasco fruit, like all other members of the Capsicum frutescens species, remain erect on the bushes, rather than hanging down from their stems. The small and tapered fruits are around 2.5 to 5cm long, and are initially pale yellowish-green, turning yellow and orange before ripening to bright red.
The fruit has a thin, delicate skin and a juicy, crunchy texture, making it excellent eaten raw or cooked. The flavour of is described as fruity and slightly sweet, with a sharp, intense heat that is hot but not overpowering. It is used in many spicy condiments, such as salsa, marinades, and rubs. Additionally, the pepper is sometimes pickled or dried and ground into a powder for flavouring.
The tabasco plant has typically bushy, growing up to 90cm tall, and because it displays the immature yellow fruits at the same time as the mature red ones, this chilli plant is very ornamental in the garden and also on the plate.
Chilli Buena MulataBuena Mulata Chilli Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
This must be one of the most beautiful peppers to grow. It is a tall plant with dark green leaves, purple nodes, and purple flowers. It bears prolifically, and the slender pods can grow to between 10 and 20cm long, undergoing a remarkable colour transition, starting off a beautiful violet hue before morphing to orange-brown and maturing to red.
Buena Mulata peppers can be eaten at any stage of ripeness, and their flavour profile changes with the colour of the pods, from the mild, grassy taste of the unripe purple stage, shifting slowly to become the sweet spiciness of the red ones.
Buena Mulata peppers provide a comparable heat profile to cayenne peppers, scoring 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units, but with a lovely sweetness. Compared to a jalapeno chilli which has 2 500 to 8 000 SHU’s, the Buena Mulata ranges from four to twenty times hotter than a jalapeno.
This places Buena Mulata peppers firmly in the medium range of pepper scale heat, but do not be fooled by its friendly colours - this is still a hot pepper. It has a sharp instant heat that hits the tip of your tongue immediately.
The Buena Mulata is fun to play with in the kitchen. It’s hot enough to notice, but not so hot that you can’t use it daily, fresh, or dried. It’s great for pickling because the colours are fun, and its natural sweetness is a nice culinary foil to the tang of the vinegar in the pickling brine.
If you can take the heat, Buena Mulata peppers are great eaten fresh, and their broad colour palette makes festive-looking dishes like salads and salsas.
It’s also a great chilli for drying and crushing into chilli flakes or powder. Seeing it’s the same heat as cayenne, this pepper can be a fun, slightly sweeter take on cayenne.
Chilli UFO Purple UFO Purple Chilli Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
With its unique shape, small to medium sized fruits, and vibrant colour, the purple UFO makes an excellent, small and compact ornamental plant, adding a dash of colour and fun to any garden, balcony, or indoor plant collection. Its striking hue, combined with the peculiar flat, disc-like shape of the fruits which resemble a flying saucer or UFO, gives it its name, and can be a real conversation starter.
The purple UFO pepper goes through a fascinating transformation as it ages. It starts off as a vibrant violet or purple when it’s young, and as it ripens, the colour changes to a deep purple, almost black, before transitioning to a rich, ruby red when fully ripe. The interior of the fruit stays a purplish hue, even after it matures to red.
This is a medium-heat chilli, but it sits near the top of that range, roughly 30,000 to 45,000 Scoville Heat Units, and that’s nearly equal to the heat of a cayenne pepper. Compared to the Jalapeno pepper which sits at the lower end of medium heat on the Scoville scale (2,500 to 8,000 SHU), the Purple UFO is roughly 4 to 18 times hotter.
It’s slightly sweet and fruity flavour has a quick heat which can surprise you, but the spiciness doesn’t linger too long, making it a very versatile chilli pepper in the kitchen.
This pepper is excellent for pickling as the sweetness of the chilli works well with the tanginess of the brine. The vibrant purple colour adds a unique visual element to dishes, and its thick flesh makes it an excellent choice for stuffing. It is also cooked in stir-fries and sauces, and added fresh in salads, salsas, and sandwiches. While these chilies are flavourful raw, roasting them brings out their natural sweetness which can be used as a base for various dishes to add a spicy kick. The purple UFO can also be dried and flaked or ground into a powder, for use in taco seasoning, chilli powder, or other spice blends.
Chilli Cubanelle Cubanelle Chilli Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
This sweet and tangy pepper is believed by the majority of experts to have first been cultivated in Italy, but its origins are mostly unknown with a few experts tracing it back to Cuba.
This sweet and tangy pepper has long and slender fruits which start out green and turn yellow or red as they mature. Their smooth, slightly waxy skin contributes to their appeal. Cubanelle peppers have a very mild heat, ranging 100 to 1,000 Scoville Heat Units.
The peppers are used in both their immature green and mature red state and are favoured for their sweet taste and thick flesh.
Red Cubanelle peppers are a staple in Cuban dishes and common in Latin American, Caribbean, and also Mediterranean cuisines, adding versatility to many dishes. They are popularly used in sofrito, a flavourful aromatic base used in many cuisines. In Cuba sofrito is made by sautéing peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and cilantro, to use as the base for many different recipes including soups, stews, rice, and bean dishes.
Red cubanelle peppers are great diced raw for a crunchy addition to salsas and salads. And on sandwiches they provide a mild pepper flavour without excessive heat.
They also are great in sauces, stuffed with rice, meat, or vegetables and baked in the oven, or fried, sautéed, grilled, or roasted to enhance their sweetness.
Chilli Jalepena Lemon Spice Jalapeño Chilli Pepper Lemon Spice (Capsicum annuum)
This is not just an ordinary jalapeno; it’s got all the heat of a green jalapeno but with a wonderful citrus undertone. It looks like a jalapeno with the pods staring off dark green and then turning a beautiful bright yellow as they mature, making edible landscaping a breeze. The sturdy plants are super ornamental in the garden and extremely prolific, making them perfect for sunny borders or container planting.
This outstanding little pepper has great flavour and a low to medium level of heat. Scoring 2 500 to 5 000 in Scoville Heat Units it has a smooth build up to a gentle and pleasing peak of warmth. The focus is across the tongue and eventually down the throat. A long lasting tingle of heat lingers well after the lemon spice has plateaued.
The smooth yellow skin is medium-to-thick walled and provides a satisfying crunch with each bite. Because the colour really pops, this variety really stands out in salsas and other fresh preparations.
If pickled together with green and red jalapeno varieties the yellow colours of lemon spice really pop. They also look fantastic added fresh in salads and salsas.
Lemon Spice Jalapeno is a great option to use as a base for sauces. Add this chilli pepper to any dishes that require a bit of citrus and some spice but not too much to handle. Give it a try in any of your favourite dishes.
Chilli Anaheim Picture courtesy Ali Eminov from flickrAnaheim Chilli Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
If you’ve got little ones in the house, or just don’t love very spicy foods, Anaheims, are perfect with their mild to medium heat. They range from 500 to 2 500 Scoville Heat Units, making them fairly mild, and on the lower end of the scale.
These chilli peppers make a fantastic addition to many recipes. They give off a tangy, smoky taste, with a hint of sweetness, too. Add them in any dish you'd make using bell peppers, though of course expect a small bit of heat, which is often welcomed. They can become part of your Cajun Holy Trinity, or Mirepoix - a flavour base in cooking, made by gently cooking diced vegetables in butter or oil to bring out their natural sweetness and deepen their flavour. This aromatic mixture is then used as a foundation for soups, stews, sauces, and other savoury dishes.
These peppers are medium-sized and often used for cooking in recipes when green or red chillies are required. The basic variety ripens to a dark green/reddish colour, but other strains ripen to full red.
Anaheim peppers boast a sleek and elongated shape that tapers to a point at the end. Their large size and thick skin makes them great candidates for eating raw, pickling, grilling, stuffing, and much more.
They are used for making the famous Mexican Rellenos where the skin is seared on an open flame until it skin bubbles and turns black. The charred skin is removed and the pepper is slit open and the pips and placenta removed before being stuffed with the cheeses of your choice, and then dipped in beaten egg and fried on a medium-hot griddle. They’re equally yummy in your breakfast scrambles or for jazzing up your enchiladas.
Red varieties can be strung together and dried to make chilli ristras - the strung pods of red chillies that you see displayed near arches, doors and windows all over New Mexico.
Chilli Cayenne Picture courtesy Maja Dumat from flickrCayenne Chilli Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
The Cayenne pepper has long, thin, slightly curved fruits which change colour from green to red when ripe, making it very decorative. This famous red variety has become highly prized for its unusually large and growing list of health benefits.
Cayenne pepper is known for its spiciness with a slightly smoky aroma, and is considered to be a medium to hot pepper, ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 SHU’s, which is about as hot as a serrano pepper. If you compare that to a typical jalapeno pepper, which averages around 5,000 SHU, the hottest cayenne is about 10 times hotter.
Cayenne peppers are one of the most popular chillies in the West but are found in a wide variety of cuisines, including Creole, Asian, Indian, Thai, Chinese, and Korean.
The dried spice is made by drying and grinding the peppers or pulping and baking them into cakes, which are then ground to produce the spice.
A pinch of cayenne over devilled kidneys or paired with game birds will add a gutsy kick and heighten the flavour of the dish. Try it in soups and sauces, on pizzas, as well as over meats and seafood’s. It’s great with vegetables and lentil dishes, or in curries. Keep it on the table in a shaker as an alternative to salt or pepper. The fresh fruits make amazing pickles and jams too.
Cayenne is so versatile you can use it whenever you need some heat, and you will find it enhances the flavour of even the simplest of dishes like shepherd’s pie, chilli con carne or even a cheese fondue.
In addition, the vast majority of popular hot sauces all rely on cayenne for part of their kick, particularly if the sauce also contains vinegar. Make your own cayenne pepper hot sauce by simmering peppers, garlic, salt, vinegar, and water. Blend, strain, and bottle.
You can pick your cayenne peppers when they are green, though the flavour will be somewhat grassy and the heat not so intense.
Cayenne Purple
Cayenne Purple, with its beautiful white and purple flowers and dark purple fruits which turn red when ripe, is very decorative in the garden, and an excellent addition to any dish.
Chilli Paper Lantern Paper Lantern Chilli Peppers (Capsicum chinense)
This chilli belongs to the Habanero stable of chillies. The peppers are small to medium-sized with red, pointy pendant shaped pods. The fruits are just a little longer than a common habanero, and they age from green to orange, and finally ripen to a vibrant orange or red colour, resembling miniature Chinese lanterns.
They have a typically sweet red Habanero aroma and flavour, and are quite spicy, but not among the hottest peppers like the Carolina Reaper or Ghost Pepper. The Paper Lantern is also not quite as hot as some other habanero cultivars like the Red Savina or Chocolate Habanero. However, it sits at the upper scale of Habaneros, packing a significant punch, and scoring between 150 000 and 400 000 SHU’s, while the common Orange Habanero has Scoville Heat Units ranging from 100 000 to 350 000.
The fruits have a subtly sweet, fruity flavour followed by an intense, very hot level of spice that is centred in the back of the throat. They are often used fresh or dried in various culinary applications where a balance of heat and flavour is desired.
The pods are thin skinned and very crunchy when picked young, and once they turn red the pods are less crisp, but much sweeter in taste and utilized in cooking.
Chinese Lanterns can be used as a substitute for the common Habanero varieties in culinary applications. They are commonly cooked into homemade hot sauces and added to dishes where a good level of heat is desired without being too overwhelming, but can also be added fresh to salsas as salads.
Dried and ground into a powder, or flaked, Cayenne can easily be stored for extended use.
The plant is very striking and productive in the garden, with a compact habit that looks good in pots. This early-season habanero type was developed to thrive in cooler climates, making them a successful home garden variety, especially in difficult growing regions.
Chilli Rutgers' Pumpkin Habanero Rutgers’ Pumpkin Habanero Chilli Pepper (Capsicum chinense)
Rutgers' Pumpkin Habanero is an open-pollinated pepper variety that was developed from a field cross between African and Mexican habanero peppers.
Its bright tangerine colour, smooth skin, and cute pumpkin shaped peppers make the Pumpkin Habanero really stand out from the crowd when it comes too good looks. It’s sweet and crunchy, with capsaicin levels high enough to give a bite without overwhelming the crisp taste.
Rating at 30 000 to 50 000 Scoville Heat Units, it boasts more heat than a bell pepper, but less kick than a habanero. It’s perfect for those cooks who want a little bit of heat and a whole lot of flavour, making it perfect to use for the whole family.
Its vibrant colour and unique flavour make it a standout ingredient in fresh culinary creations like salads and salsas and for adding heat and flavour to cooked sauces and many other spicy dishes.
Chilli Carolina Reaper Carolina Reaper Chilli Pepper (Capsicum chinense)
The Carolina Reaper is certainly not for the faint hearted, it’s one of the hottest chilli peppers in the world, setting off a bomb of flavour in your mouth and an intense heat that will make you sweat and feel like its detaching your tongue and travelling into your nostrils and ears!
The Carolina reaper is a hybrid of a Red Habanero strain and a Naja Viper pepper—another pepper that was once the hottest pepper in the world. Like the Naja Viper and Trinidad Scorpion, the Carolina Reaper has a scorpion-like tail, and this, together with its bulbous shape and pockmarked scarlet-red skin, makes for a devilish looking chilli fitting of its name.
Carolina Reaper chillies range between 1 million Scoville Heat Units, with peak levels of over 2.2 million SHU’s. It was officially crowned the hottest chilli pepper in the world by Guinness World Records in 2013, a title it held until 2023 when it was surpassed by Pepper X.
Compared to a Jalapeno, the Reaper is 175 to 880 times hotter, and compared to another popular super-hot chilli, the Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) it’s nearly double the heat of the infamous Bhut.
Its scorching heat makes eating it raw inadvisable. Cooking and diluting it with other ingredients is best. The Carolina Reaper can be dried, powdered or flaked, and is good for pickling and in marinades.
The pods have a medium thick flesh and turn from green to red when mature, and despite its extreme heat, its sweet and fruity undertones make it a popular choice for extremely hot sauces, from tangy vinegar-based ones to those with a sweet or smoky undertone.
It combines well with many ingredients like tomatoes, sweet onions, honey, and sweet fruits like mango to temper the fire. Garlic with its pungent flavour holds its own against the Reaper. Lime’s acidity and fresh flavour also go well will hot chillies, as does the fresh and slightly citrusy flavour of cilantro. Pineapple, with its tangy and sweet flavour is also a good pairing.
Dark chocolate’s bitterness and sweetness will help to balance the Reaper’s heat, and the creamy and slightly sweet flavour of coconut milk will temper it.
Chilli Apocalypse Apocalypse Scorpion Red Chilli Pepper (Capsicum chinense)
This chilli pepper hybrid is a powerful and extremely hot variety that has quickly established itself as one of the hottest peppers in the world. Boasting a Scoville Heat Unit rating between 1 175,000 and 1 500,000, the Apocalypse Scorpion Chilli stands shoulder to shoulder with the Carolina Reaper and Pepper X. Compared to a Jalapeno the Apocalypse Scorpion is roughly 175 to 560 times hotter, so this is not a chilli to be trifled with lightly.
Like most super-hots, the Apocalypse Scorpion is one wicked looking fruit that screams “stay away!” The small pods grow 5 to 7cm in length and typically feature the ominous scorpion peppers ‘stinger tail’, with wrinkled, warped and pock-marked skin which looks like it has been melting in the sun. The fruit follows a typical colour pattern as it matures, aging from green to red while on the vine, and increasing in overall spiciness during the process.
What sets it apart is not just its intense heat, but also its distinct fruity, slightly sweet and floral flavour that emerges before the fiery burn takes over. This duality makes it an essential ingredient for culinary creations where both exceptional heat and flavour are non-negotiable.
It can be quite useful to add spiciness to large amounts of food at once and a good way to a spice up large pots of chilli, stews, soups, and more. Just a sliver of any super-hot pepper can provide spiciness to an entire pot of chili or stew. So, don’t be heavy-handed to start, use small amounts and build up to get to the heat level you prefer.
Apocalypse Scorpion Chocolate
Scorpion Chocolate also has a very hot but distinct flavour profile, with an added smoky profile too it.
Apocalypse Scorpion Chillies are not the fastest producers around but are definitely worth the wait. Both the red and chocolate varieties are particularly pretty in the garden with their large shiny fruits.
Chilli Trinidad Maruga Scorpio Red Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Chilli Peppers (Capsicum chinense)
The Trinidad Maruga Scorpion hails from the Maruga region of Trinidad and Tobago. It is one of the hottest peppers in the world, rating 800 000 to over 1 300 000 Scoville Heat units (SKU). As a member of Capsicum chinense, it shares characteristics with other renowned peppers like the Carolina Reaper.
Typically small to medium in size, these peppers have a wrinkled, irregular shape. The pods start off green and mature to a bright red colour when ripe. Their distinctive scorpion-like tail gives them their name, and their taste also has a little sting like a scorpion with the heat kicking in almost immediately.
The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion reigns as a heavyweight contender in the world of spicy peppers, and its extreme heat challenges even the most seasoned chilli aficionados. In addition to their extreme heat, Trinidad Maruga Scorpions are known for their complex flavour, which is fruity and slightly floral, with hints of citrus and a tropical sweetness. This makes them popular in sauces, salsas, marinades and dry rubs, blended with other ingredients to balance their heat.
Trinidad Maruga Scorpion Peach
The pods of Scorpion Peach start off green and mature to a peach colour when ripe
Trinidad Maruga Scorpion Red
The pods of Scorpion red start off green and mature to a bright red when ripe
Chilli 7 Pot Barrackpore JBP7 Pot Chilli Peppers (Capsicum chinense)
The 7 Pot is related to the Trinidad Scorpion Pepper and shares its rough, pimpled skin, but is plumper, with a ribbed texture. It’s similar in shape to habaneros but a bit longer.
These chillies come from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean, and there are a few different types, including: Trinidad 7 Pot Primo, 7 Pot Barrackpore, 7 Pot Jonah, 7 Pot Primo Red, 7 Pot Brain Strain Yellow, 7 Pot Evergreen, and 7 Pot Douglah.
The varieties display a wide array of colours which develop as they mature. Colours include green, yellow, orange, red, brown, and even purple. Some varieties, like the 7 Pot Evergreen starts out a pale green and turns darker with a yellowish tint as it ripens. Other varieties, like the 7 Pot Douglah start off green and mature to a dark chocolate brown.
The 7 pot chilli plants are bushy and quite compact, reaching heights between 50 and 80cm. This makes them ideal for pot culture.
Its name”7 Pot” refers to a saying from the islands that a single chilli is hot enough to spice 7 pots of stew! So yeah this chilli is fiery, so fiery that in Trinidad it is used in military grade tear gas, and also in a marine paint which prevents barnacles!
Needless to say, the 7 Pot Primo is one of the hottest peppers in the world, with an average Scoville Heat Units rating of 1 473,480. To put that into perspective, jalapenos have a SHU rating of just 2 500 to 8 000 SHUs.
The heat is similar to that of the Bhut Jolokia, but like other Caribbean peppers, 7 Pot peppers have a wonderful nutty and fruity flavour, with some connoisseur’s saying the aroma is reminiscent of apricots. These flavours, combined with the heat, make 7 Pot chillies immensely popular among chilli-head chefs.
The fruit has thin walls, making 7 Pot chillies suitable for drying and flaking or grinding into powder. The fresh pods are added to many cooked dishes; in hot sauces, marinades, and spicy dishes like stews, grilled meats, and curries.
For the brave at heart they are used fresh in dressings and salsas, especially in combination with tropical fruits such as mangoes and pineapple, and perhaps some coconut cream to temper the heat.
Ghost Chilli Peach Ghost Pepper, Bhut Jolokai (Capsicum chinense)
The various types of Ghost Peppers vary in Scoville Heat Unit ratings from between 1 041,427 and 1 463,700. It is another one of the hottest chilli peppers in the world so use with caution.
When ripe the fruit has a wrinkled, bumpy texture, appearing red, orange, purple or brown, depending on the variety. The fruits are not only hot but also have a beautiful smoky, citrusy flavour.
Red Ghost Pepper
With a wrinkled, bumpy texture, this ghost pepper is 5 to 7cm long and turns red when fully ripe. It is used sparingly in pickles, hot sauces, chutneys, and many other spicy dishes, and sometimes in spicy powders and marinades.
Chocolate Ghost Pepper
The Chocolate Ghost Pepper, or Chocolate Bhut Jolokia, is a dark brown variety of the Bhut Jolokia, originating from India’s north-eastern regions of Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur. Once considered the hottest pepper in the world, it ranges from 800 000 to 1 000,000 SHU’s, making it extremely spicy.
Despite its heat, it features a fruity, slightly sweet, and earthy flavour with hints of chocolate and smokiness, making it popular in sauces and salsas.
Purple Ghost Pepper
Purple Bhut Jolokia provides a nice, sweet flavour and a good burn. Your lips will swell, and your tongue may become numb, but you will love it. The pods start with a dull purple colour, turn a glossy white-green, and then a deep purple. They mature to a dark red colour with dark blotches.
Yellow Ghost Pepper
The yellow Ghost Pepper or Bhut Jolokia has a sweet and fruity flavour and will light up your garden like a Christmas tree. This chilli pepper pack a nuclear punch in your mouth. The pods start off green and then turn into a bright yellow colour.
Peach Ghost Pepper
The Peach ghost chillies most distinguishing feature is its peach-like colour, which ranges from pale yellow to a soft, orange-peach hue when ripe. This gives it a visually striking appearance.
Pimento Ghost Pepper, Pimento Jolokia
Pimento Jolokia is a hybrid chilli pepper that combines the mild and sweet Pimento with the heat of the Ghost Pepper or Bhut Jolokia, resulting in a much milder ghost pepper. This variety is a good example of how heat within hybrid species can vary greatly. Bhut Jolokia averages between 1 000,000 and 1 041,427 on the Scoville Scale, but the Pimento Ghost Chilli only measures about 500 000 SHU’s.
These small to medium peppers are red and have a slightly wrinkled surface. They offer a sweet and tangy flavour complemented by the Ghost Pepper’s heat, making them perfect in Mediterranean dishes and for salsas, salads, hot sauces, and stews.
Chilli Ghostly Jalapeno Ghostly Jalapeno (Capsicum chinense x Capsicum annuum.)
The Ghostly Jalapeno is a hybrid resulting from the cross-pollination of two different Capsicum species, the Jalapeno and the Ghost Pepper, or Bhut Jolokia. The Ghostly Jalapeno ranks at around 30 000 to 50 00 in Scoville Heat Units, making it a lot milder than Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper which ranges between 1 041,427 and 1 463,700 SHU’s.
The Ghostly Jalapeno is an interesting chilli pepper. It’s got great flavour and you get the Bhut flavour, but the heat isn’t nearly as fiery. The burn starts as a light tingle on the tongue, eventually building after a long delay. At its peak it has a good sting on the tongue and lips then becomes sweet like an apple or a bean. The whole affair is very smooth and sits at the plateau for a bit before disappearing just as seamlessly.
These chillies transition from green to fiery red and are renowned for their prolific pod production, on compact, bushy plants reaching around 80cm in height. In looks the ripened peppers don’t really present any of their jalapeno lineage, looking more like smaller ghost peppers with lightly wrinkled skin.
The ghostly jalapeno has a thin, crunchy wall, bringing a kick to any dish. Their intensity makes them versatile for spice powders or flakes, pickling, and eating fresh.
Chilli Naga Viper Red Naga Viper Red Chilli Pepper (Capsicum chinense)
The Naga Viper is a hybrid chilli derived from the Naga Morich, Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper), and the Trinidad Scorpion. In 2011, it was recorded as the world's hottest chilli by the Guinness World Records, with a rating of 1 382,118 Scoville Heat Units (SHU).
The Naga Viper is renowned for its exceptional productivity and its pods transition from green to vibrant red when ripe, varying in shape, with some featuring tails while others do not. Typically wrinkled and red when ripe, its appearance may vary slightly with growing conditions.
The Viper Naga delivers an intense heat with fruity and floral notes to a variety of culinary creations. Use it sparingly in cooking to enhance hot sauces and spicy dishes. It’s ideal for crafting super-hot chilli sauces and extreme chilli powders.
Growing up to approximately a meter in height, The Viper Naga is very ornamental whilst fruiting, and flourishes in pot cultivation.
Dorset Naga Chilli Pepper
The Dorset Naga, a distinguished member of the hottest chillies in the world club. It is a selected strain from the Naga Morich variety, known for its intense heat, and a Scoville Heat Unit rating between 800 000 to 1 600,000.
The peppers are small to medium-sized and typically have wrinkled, bumpy skin. When ripe, they usually turn from green to a vibrant deep red, though some varieties may also be orange or yellow.
Despite its intense heat, the Dorset Naga has a fruity and slightly smoky flavour, which adds a complex taste to dishes beyond just heat.
The Dorset Naga plant is shorter and bushier compared to the Naga Morich. Despite being more compact, it remains an excellent producer, showcasing its resilience and adaptability.
Chilli Fatalii Fatalii Chilli Pepper (Capsicum chinense)
The Fatalii is a cultivar developed in southern or central Africa from chillies introduced from the Americas. Fatalii peppers are extremely hot and there are multiple variations of this chilli in shades of yellow, white, and red, with yellow being the most prevalent in global markets.
Culivars include: Red Fatalii, Chocolate Fatalii, and Yellow Fatalii
With a heat level ranging from 100 000 to 350 000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), it shares a similar heat range with Habaneros and Scotch Bonnets.
The small and slender pods, average 6 to 8cm in length and have a curved or straight, conical shape that tapers to a distinct point. The waxy skin is deeply creased and folded with a semi-wrinkled appearance.
The fruit has an earthy and bright, citrus-forward flavour with strong notes of lemon and lime. In addition to the fruity taste, the pepper also contains an intense heat that begins at the back of the throat and at its peak it travels into the mouth.
Fatalii chilli peppers can be used in fresh applications, but due to their extreme heat and thin walls, they are more commonly processed into hot sauces or dried and ground into chilli flakes or powder. Once dried, it can be used to add heat to marinades, dressings, barbeque sauces, salsa, and chutney.
They are best suited for cooked applications such as roasting, boiling, or stir-frying chicken, seafood, and grilled meats. The brave blend it minced raw into marinades and dips, or finely chopped into salsas. It pairs well with avocado, lime, lemon, oranges, mango, papaya, pineapple, and tomato.
Chilli Chocolate Habanero Habanero Chilli Peppers (Capsicum chinense)
The habanero chilli pepper is a pungent cultivar and a botanical cousin of the Scotch Bonnet from the Caribbean. Rating 100 000 to 350 000 in Scoville Heat Units, they have a delightful fusion of sweetness and subtle habanero notes, delivering a fresh burst of flavour, and the heat intensifies swiftly, providing a well-rounded burn that gradually builds to a satisfying level.
In terms of appearance they look like normal bell peppers, but in miniature format, sometimes attaining the size of a golf ball. Unripe habaneros are green, and they colour as they ripen. The most common colour variants are orange and red, but the fruit may also be white, brown, yellow, green, or purple. Green and white pods are milder than orange, black, or chocolate ones, and the Red Savina is the hottest.
Habaneros come from the Amazon and were spread to Mexico, and today the largest producer of the habanero pepper is the Yucatán Peninsula, in Mexico.
Habaneros are an integral part of Yucatecan food, accompanying most dishes. These diminutive devils are pretty punchy, and they will give you a nice, tangy heat, but they are not too painful to eat. With their crunchy and crisp texture, Habanero’s add depth and spice to various culinary creations, whether incorporated fresh into salsas, sauces, or pickles, or dried and ground into powders.
The habanero pairs especially well with tropical fruits such as mango, pineapple, and papaya, which help counter its intensity, and it is frequently used in bottled condiments that combine its flavours with everything from vinegar to carrots. The chilli has even been added to cocktails and other beverages.
This petite chilli plant with its stocky build is a prolific producer and reaches heights of 35 to 40cm in pots, while flourishing to larger sizes when planted in the ground.
Habanero Chocolate
This variety has a similar lantern shape to that of a normal pepper. The fruits are extremely hot and ripen into a dark chocolate colour.
Habanero Peach
This variety has a slightly higher Scoville rating than most other habanero varieties. The fruits are light green and ripen to a pale peach colour. This chilli is a great addition to sauces and salsas.
Habanero Red
This chilli is extremely hot but has a beautifully unique flavour. The fruits are green but can vary in colour upon ripening.
Habanero Yellow
This is an abundant producer with large golden yellow fruit that produces for a long time, looks good, and has a great taste.
Habanero Saffron
The Saffron Habanero is a small plant but a great producer, and the medium sized saffron-yellow coloured fruit is crunchy and fresh, with a fairly light, sweet and fruity taste.
Habanero Red Savina
This chilli briefly held the record for the hottest chilli with a Scoville rating of 577 000. It has a deep heat with a tropical taste.
Chilli Scotch Bonnet Picture courtesy Maja Dumat from flickrScotch Bonnet Chilli Pepper (Capsicum chinense)
Scotch Bonnet chilli peppers are a variety known for their intense heat and fruity, habanero-like flavour. The Scoville Heat Units for this variety vary between 250 000 to 350 000. The fruits are typically small, wrinkled, and range in colour from green to red, orange or yellow when ripe
The Scotch bonnet is often compared to the habanero, since they are two varieties of the same species, but they have different pod types.
Both the Scotch bonnet and the habanero have thin, waxy flesh, and they have a similar heat level and flavour. Both varieties average around the same level of pungency, but the actual degree varies greatly from one fruit to another according to genetics, growing methods, climate, and plant stress.
The scotch bonnet is very prolific and has quite an intense heat with a nice sweet flavour and a fruity apricot aroma. It is widely used in Caribbean cuisine, particularly in Jamaica to add a distinctive flavour to dishes like jerk chicken, and pepper sauces to season or marinade meat, fish and poultry.
The finer the pepper is chopped or minced, the more the heat is spread in the dish. It can be used whole in dishes, and removed before serving to impart flavour without too much heat. When eating it fresh, the heat doesn't kick in until a few seconds after you have eaten it
Caution:
When cooking with super-hot chillies it's crucial to wear gloves, and avoid touching your face. You may even have to wear kitchen goggles to protect your eyes.