Pepper Profiles | Page 13 of 19

Byadgi Chili Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

What are Byadgi chilies? If authentic Indian cuisine is a must in your kitchen, then getting to know the Byadgi chili (a.k.a. the Kaddi chili or Byadagi chili) should be high on your culinary to-do list. The popular Indian chili (hailing from the Indian state …

7 Pot Douglah Guide: Heat, Flavor, uses

by Matt Bray

What are 7 Pot Douglah peppers? The 7 Pot Douglah (a.k.a. the chocolate 7 Pot) is without a doubt one of the hottest peppers in the world (923,889 – 1,853,986 Scoville heat units.) Though its looks and flavor provide a unique twist to the top end …

7 Pot Primo Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are 7 Pot Primo peppers? What happens when two super-hots meet? Another hottie is born. The 7 Pot Primo is the fiery cross between the wickedly hot Naga Morich and the equally scorching 7 Pot pepper. This is a stable hybrid – having reached …

Trinidad Scorpion “Butch T” Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are Trinidad Scorpion “Butch T” peppers? A strain of the infamous Trinidad Scorpion pepper, the Trinidad Scorpion “Butch T” was once the hottest pepper in the world – holding the Guinness Book of World Records title in 2011. This is truly a global strain, …

Komodo Dragon Pepper: Fire Bringer

by Matt Bray

Slow-burn super-hot…

Scoville heat units (SHU): 1,400,000 – 2,200,000
Jalapeño reference point: 175 to 880 times hotter
Origin: United Kingdom
Seeds: Komodo Dragon seeds on Amazon

Blistering hot is the only way to describe the Komodo Dragon pepper. With a spiciness that rivals (but doesn’t quite beat) the Carolina Reaper, this super-hot chili is no doubt for extreme eaters only. Like the ghost pepper, it has a “sneaky heat”, a slow burn that allows a lovely fruity flavor to set before knocking your socks off. And unlike most other super-hots, the Komodo Dragon pepper has a place on the supermarket aisle – at least in the United Kingdom where it’s carried in Tesco supermarkets throughout the country.

Santa Fe Grande Pepper: Southwest Sweet

by Matt Bray

Sweet, slightly smoky, and mild… Scoville heat units (SHU): 500 – 700 Jalapeño reference point: 3 to 16 times milder Origin: United States Seeds: Santa Fe Grande pepper on Amazon With their sweet flavor, mild heat, and vibrant color, the Santa Fe Grande pepper (a.k.a. the guero …

Trinidad 7 Pot Pepper: Caribbean Fire

by Matt Bray

A rare super-hot, wicked habanero-like flavor… Scoville heat units (SHU): 1,000,000 – 1,200,000Jalapeño reference point: 125 to 480 times hotterOrigin: TrinidadProducts and seeds: Trinidad 7 Pot on Amazon With its rounded shape, the Trinidad 7 Pot pepper (a.k.a. the 7 Pod pepper) may often look …

Siling Labuyo: The Filipino Bird’s Eye

by Matt Bray

Small, but fiery….

Scoville heat units (SHU): 80,000 – 100,000
Jalapeño reference point: 10 to 40 times hotter
Origin: Phillipines
Products and seeds: Siling Labuyo on Amazon

The “wild chili” of the Philippines may be tiny, but – like the Thai chilies they are often mistaken for – they pack a punch well beyond their size. Their heat borders that of habanero peppers, but without the complexity of flavor. Siling Labuyo are popular in Filipino cuisine to bring a big spiciness to a meal, though they are becoming increasingly harder to source – they have been marked as an endangered heritage food by the Slow Food Ark of Taste.

Chilly Chili: The Family-Friendly Ornamental Pepper

by Matt Bray

Beautiful and very mild…

Scoville heat units (SHU): 1 – 1,000
Jalapeño reference point: 2 to 8,000 times milder
Origin: USA
Seeds: Chilly chili on Amazon

Behind the beauty of most ornamental peppers lies intense heat, but not the Chilly Chili. These peppers are closer to a bell pepper in spiciness than a jalapeño, making their beauty very family-friendly in comparison. If keeping your edible garden “colorful yet mild” is key, this hot pepper is a perfect choice. The Chilly Chili plant’s bright bunches of yellow, orange, and red peppers really are a standout, both in containers and outdoor gardens.

Peperone Di Senise: Basilicata’s Sweet Treasure

by Matt Bray

Delicious fresh or dried…

Scoville heat units (SHU): 0
Jalapeño reference point: 2,500 – 8,000 milder
Origin: Italy
Seeds: Peperone di Senise on Amazon

Few peppers define a regional cuisine as well as Peperone di Senise (a.k.a. the Senise pepper). With its delicious, sweet flavor and little to no heat, the Peperone di Senise is a staple of the rustic cuisine of the Basilicata region of Italy. While it’s used fresh (and simply perfect as a frying pepper), it’s the Senise pepper in dried form (known then as Peperone Crusco) that’s used the most often. Dried, it flavors meats, soups, and stews, along with a wide variety of rustic Italian meals.