The ChileFoundry » Chilli Varieties

Chilli Variety – Guizhou Longhorn Chilli

Hot Juan — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:33:39 +0000

Another unusual Chilli variety from ChilliPepperPete, this one is another of their collection of Chinese Chillies. The Guizhou Longhorn is one of the longest chillies we have seen and could rival the Joe’s Long as the world longest chilli. It’s I mild chilli with a thin skin and deep red colour, once rehydrated it has a good flavour reminding me of a mild cayenne/paprika cross.

ChilliPepperPete - Guizhou Longhorn Chilli

This chilli comes from the province of Guizhou which is one of China’s poorest areas, it is adjacent to the better know Sichuan Province in the eastern part of Yunna n-Guizhou Plateau in southwest China, an area that has yet to make it self know in culinary terms to the west.

Here is a simple but excellent recipe I saw demonstrated by Jenny/John Coupland at the Brighton Chilli Festival, I do recommend you look out their Sichuan , they make the rubbish we get in the supermarkets look very poor in comparison.

Smoky Cabbage Recipe

1 Cabbage (pointed is best) shredded
about 10 Sichuan peppers (Buy some from ChilliPepperPete Web site, they are the best)
Dried chillies to taste, Facing Heaven or Longhorn
Vegetable oil
Salt

Heat oil in a wok, until smoking hot, through in the pepers until almost black. Remove the peppers (you have flavoured the oil). Get the oil hot again and break dried chiles into the wok, including the seeds, fry for a while, but do not burn the chiles, toss in the cabbage, add salt straight away and fry for a few minutes. That’s it simple and delicious.

Chilli Pepper Pete does not yet have Guizhou Longhorn Chilli on the web site (December 2011) , but we believe they will have in the new year, but in the meantime you can pick some up if you visit their shop in Brighton.

Update: This now on the ChilliPepperPete Web site click here to jump straight to it.

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Chilli Variety – Chinese White Chilli from ChilliPepperPete

Hot Juan — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:23:56 +0000

We have heard a few tales in our time…. But at the end of the summer Pete of ChilliPepperPete fame was telling us about a White Chilli he had coming in a container with some other products from China.. Well it was the end of the day and I asked him to send us some when they arrived.

ChillipepperPete - Chinese White Chilli

Well here they are, and I don’t think I have ever seen a chilli like it. There is no strong distinctive smell, but when I first opened the bag, it was a little like opening a bag of currents. Heat wise this is defiantly not hot one, There is however an interesting light fragrant taste that reminds me of green tea, they can be easily eaten straight from the bag, almost as a snack.

I am going to steep a couple in warm water and see how they rehydrate (will report back the results)

They are not yet on the ChilliPepperPete web site so if you are interested in getting your hands on some, you may have to email in for more information.

While I am on the subject of web sites, the ChilliPepperPete web site has been growing and now includes lots more products from some of the best UK artisan chilli sauce makers including:- Bims Kitchen, Burning Desire Foods, Cambridge Chilli Farm, The Chilli Jam Man, The Chilli Pepper Co, Chilliqueen, Chinthe, Dartmoor Chilli Farm, Grim Reaper Foods, Hot Headz, Karimix, Lilys Chillies, Manjira, Mr Singh’s, Mr Vikkis, Rico Picante, Sinful Sauces, Smokey Joe Sauce Co and The Wiltshire Chilli Farm.

They have not left out some of the colony’s with products from Blairs, Cajohns, Marie Sharps, Original Australian and Pain is Good.

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Chilli Variety – The Confusing Birds Eye Chilli

Hot Juan — Wed, 11 May 2011 08:22:13 +0000

Is this a "Bird Eye" Chilli

This is one of the most common chillies available in the UK supermarkets and specialist shops, you can find it both fresh and dried, they are relatively hot at between 100,000 – 225,000 Scovile Units (SHU), but are we all taking about the same chilli, as there seems to be a lot of confusion about what they are!

In general they seem to be about 1 – 3 cm in length and 0.5cm to 1cm in diameter, they are thin walled, packed with seeds and conical in shape, starting green and maturing to red.

Birds Eye chillies are found all over Africa and Asia, and is know by many local names such as Piri-Piri or Bird’s eye chili, Bird, African Devil, Boonie pepper, Cabe rawit (Indonesian), Cengek (Sundanese), Cengis (Banyumasan language), Cili padi (Malay), Kanthari mulagu (Malayalam), Kochchi (Sinhalese), Ladâ, Lombok rawit (Javanese), Phrik khi nu (Thai), Siling labuyo (Tagalog/Filipino), Thai dragon, Thai hot, Congo chiles, Mombassa chiles, Pequin chiles, Uganda chiles and Zanzibar chiles.

It seem that we are all confused where this chilli is a C.annuum or A.frutescens with different seed providers being evenly balanced on the subject, but we have even seen it listed at C.chinense.

For what is one of the most commonly available chillies, we are confused, it is probably lots of different variates, that look similar, a common name Piri-Piri translates in some languages to Hot-Hot while it others it has become the term for chillies.

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Chilli Variety – Facing Heaven Chillies

Hot Juan — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:52:25 +0000

The Facing Heaven chilli is so named as it grows with the pods pointing towards to sky. It originated from the Sichuan province in southwest China.

The Facing Heaven Chilli

The pods are cone shaped and grown to between 3 and 6 cm in length, and 1-2cm in diameter, they are very thin skinned and when dried they produce a nice rattle sound when shaken.

Facing Heaven Chilles are a big part of Szechuan cuisine is unlike any other Chinese cuisine we are use to it he highly flavour with Garlic and Chillies, with the Szechuan peppercorn also playing a signification part.

The pods have a bit of a citrus zing to them and are mild to medium heat so can be used in most cooking, In the UK you may find them in specialist retailers, but they are generally hard to find.

These pods where kindley provided by ChilliPepperPete and can be found on his web site, which also have stock of Szechuan peppercorns. we have a great recipe from ChillipepperPete for a Szechuan Hot Pot coming very soon.

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More New Chilli varieties from Sea Spring Seeds

Hot Juan — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:44:58 +0000

“The following varieties are – as far as we know – unique to us in the UK. In the majority of the cases, we were given the original seed by other people (usually travellers) and after years of growing them out now produce seed ourselves” – Joy Michaud Sea Spring Seeds

Apricot (Capsicum chinense)

Apricot

Sea Spring Seeds’ version of a mild habanero, Apricot is virtually heat-free. The elongated fruit are slightly-grooved and measure about 25×60 mm. They have an appealing crunchy texture and a wonderfully fresh, aromatic fragrance. As they mature the colour changes from a delicate lime green to a stunning salmon orange. The medium-sized plants are quite tidy and disciplined, and can be grown, with some support, either in pots, growbags or the ground.
Delicious stuffed or used in salads as a fragrant addition to the dish. A real treat for cooks keen on introducing extra flavour to their food, and suitable for anyone nervous of the mouth-burning nature of chillies.

Approximate heat level: 700 SHU

Coffee Bean (Capsicum chinense)

Coffee beans

The tiny, round fruit of this variety measure 9 to10 mm in diameter and have a powerful fruity aroma. They mature from green to bright orange and eventually red, reminiscent of ripe coffee beans. The plants are short and busy and can grow unsupported in both small and large pots.

Approximate heat level: 77,000 SHU

Pumpkin (Capsicum chinense)

Pumpkin

This appropriately-named variety produces pumpkin-shaped fruit that measure 20mm in diameter. The fruit mature from dark green to orange, and have a strong habanero flavour when ripe. The plants are somewhat prostrate with spreading branches that are laden with fruit. They do well unsupported in large pots, growbags or the ground.

Approximate heat level: 73,000 SHU

Turtle Claw (Capsicum chinense)

Turtle Claw

The twisted, knobbly fruit of this variety measure about 9.5 x 38 mm, and mature from light green to pastel yellow. The very hot fruit are a distinctive mix of habanero and lemon flavours. The plants are very productive and have a bushy growth habit that makes them ideal for growing in pots. Flavourful, productive and compact, this is one of our favourite habaneros.

Approximate heat level: 96,000 SHU

Stumpy (Capsicum annuum)

Stumpy

We named this variety Stumpy because of its diminutive size. The wedge-shaped, upright fruit are about 30mm long and produced above the foliage in bunches. They are medium hot, and turn from yellow to orange and red as they mature. Because of their small stature and compact growth habit, the plants do especially well in small pots and are ideally suited for windowsill growing.

Approximate heat level: 27,000 SHU

Rooster Spur (Capsicum annuum)

Rooster spur

We have been growing Rooster Spur on and off since the early 1990s and have always been impressed by the huge number of fruit it produces: in 2010, for example, we harvested over 2000 mature fruit from a single plant. The fruit are thin and short (about 4.5x 20mm) and very hot, turning from green to red as they ripen. Rooster Spur is quite late to mature for a C. annuum, and may not reach its full potential in northern Britain. Plants have very small leaves and a bushy growth habit that needs no support. This variety is perfectly adapted to containers, growing equally well in small 13cm pots and larger 30cm ones: the plants just get bigger and bear more fruit as the pots get larger.

Approximate heat level: 170,000 SHU

All the images in this article are © Sea Spring Seeds

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New Chilli varieties from Sea Spring Seeds

Hot Juan — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:37:18 +0000

Joy Michaud at Sea Springs Seeds is launching a lots of new Chilli varieties this year, she has sent us some descriptions and pictures, the following are a result of their own breeding programme.

Cheeky (Capsicum chinense)

Cheeky

Our own selection from the Ghanaian land race kpakpo shito, the small, roundish fruit are about 20mm in diameter and change from lime green to orange to red as they mature. They are very hot, and their deep lobes make them look somewhat like the cheeks of a bum, hence the name. The plants are a tidy bush and can grow unsupported, making them perfectly suited for small or large pots and grow bags.

Approximate heat level: 70,000 SHU

Pettie Belle (Capsicum chinense)

Pettie Belle

A habanero chilli selected by Sea Spring Seeds from the kpakpo shito landrace of Ghana. A high proportion of the small fruit (about 25mm in diameter) are bell-shaped, making this variety possibly the smallest bell pepper in the world. They are hot, but measuring around 37,500 SHUs they are still one of our milder habaneros. The medium tall, bushy plants can be gown in the ground or larger pots, though they will need support to stay upright. Worth growing for its novelty value alone.

Approximate heat level: 37, 500 SHU

Trinity (Capsicum chinense)

Trinity

The deeply grooved fruit of this variety are quite erratic in shape and size, but can be as large as as 30 x 65 mm. They turn from lime green to red as they ripen and, as with other habaneros, are distinguished by a likable fruity aroma that adds a distinctive flavour to salsas and chilli sauces. They are not, however, overly hot,and are more manageable in the kitchen than other habaneros. The medium-sized, spreading plants are absolutely laden with fruit, and need support to stay upright.

Approximate heat level: 40,000 SHU

Fairy Lights (Capsicum annuum)

Fairy Lights

A stunning example of chillies at their most colourful, Fairy Lights is a selection we made from the ornamental variety NuMex Twilight. The plants have purple-tinged leaves matched by bright purple flowers that develop into small, cone-shaped fruit measuring about 12 x 25 mm. These put on a dramatic display of colours as they turn from luminescent purple to orange then red. The fruit are not only attractive, they are also hot. The spreading, bushy plants are quite short, and will grow unsupported both in containers and in the ground.

Approximate heat level: 47,000 SHU

Sparkler (Capsicum annuum)

Sparkler

A result of an accidental cross in our tunnels, these very attractive, small, compact plants produce elongated, pointed fruit that are 30 to 35mm in length. The fruit are remarkably hot and grow upright above the foliage, changing from pastel yellow to orange to red as they mature. Though somewhat late to ripen, Sparkler has the potential to yield masses of fruit, and is ideal for growing in both small and large pots. A true edible ornamental.
Approximate heat level: 160,000 SHU

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Chilli Variety – Dorset Naga

Hot Juan — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 08:52:06 +0000

Sea Spring Seeds - Dorset Naga

The Dorset Naga® was developed by Michael and Joy Michaud of Sea Spring Seeds near here in West Dorset (They also run Peppers By Post, the UK’s first mail order fresh Chilli Company), it was developed from the Bangladeshi chilli the Naga Morich which they originally purchased in a Asian shop in Bournemouth.

After a few years development they created a distinctive and stable variety that has now been recognised by the CVPO (Community Plant Variety Office – http://www.cpvo.europa.eu/), the BBC’s “Gardeners’ World” television programme recorded the heat level for Dorset Naga during some tests in 2006 as high as 1,598,227 SHU, but it is generally accepted to rate between 661,000 SHU for green fruit and up to 1,032,310 SHU when fully mature.

“The wrinkled, wedge-shaped fruit ripen from green to red, and can be harvested at either stage of maturity. They can be up to 20 to 30 mm wide at the shoulders and 40 to 50 mm long, but can be smaller when the plants are grown in pots.” to quote the description from the Sea Spring Seeds website, please note that they warn that the Dorset Naga is late maturing and can be difficult to grow for the novice.

The Dorset Naga belongs to the Capsicum Chinense species which also such other notable varieties as the Habanero, Scotch Bonnet and the Naga Jolokia.

The Dorset Naga was one of the first million Scoville chillies, and has become so popular that it is stocked by Tesco’s in the UK, the only authorised sell of the seeds is Sea Spring Seeds, who are very careful to maintain the purity of the variety.

So if you fancy growing the Dorset Naga visit www.seaspringseeds.co.uk

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Darth Naga Vs The Naga Viper

Darth Naga — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:32:20 +0000

The Chilli Pepper Company - Naga Viper

Okay…how the hell do i introduce a video like this?? Hmmmm…I KNOW! Let me start by saying that this is by far the stupidest thing i have EVER done on video..i mean this, this hurts LOADS!

The story behind this video goes a little something like this: Gerald fowler of “The Chilli Pepper Company” grew some naga cross trinidad hybrid chilli’s, he then sent a batch off to Warwick Uni to get tested, they turned out to be the HOTTEST CHILLI IN THE WORLD at 1,349,000 SHU…I tasted a sauce made from these chilli’s at the West Dean Chilli Fiesta but had no idea at the time that these were the worlds hottest (neither did anyone else for that matter!) fast foward a couple of months and the news is revealed about the warwick uni test and what they discovered!

Now, I spoke to Ged and he sent me a few of the Naga Viper pods, asking me to do a taste test on video, so I obliged…rather stupidly. He also stipulated that the taste test be one green Naga viper, followed by a red naga viper…again like a fookin numpty I obliged….

I wish I had never done this, I suffered all day tuesday due to these chilli’s and it was’nt much fun! That said the flavour of the pod itself is amazing, it has both a fruity and savoury taste to me, similar to the Naga but not quite the same, the heat is something else entirely, hell if you don’t believe me watch the vid!!

I’ve just noticed from watching this review back, that I say “insane” a hell of alot, note to self, must STOP saying that so much!! anyway…

So there you have it, the day after this video was taken my tongue packed its bags and my arse handed in its notice, the heat affected me so badly thatIi have’nt had anything hot to eat since, for fear of repurcussion!! A huge well done to Ged for growing the current worlds hottest chilli and I hope we see some more sauces utilising this unique fruit soon!

The Terminator sauce is available over at www.chileseeds.co.uk for a paltry £7!! I mentioned this sauce a few times as its the only sauce at the moment that contains the naga viper chilli, so grab a bottle while you can and may the sauce be with you chilefanz!

P.S. Please can people comment on the youtube video as to whether they like the new or old style intro & outro, this is your chance to have your say, depending on what people think depends on whether i keep the new style or go back to the old

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Chilli Variety – Cheyenne F1

Hot Juan — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 09:56:11 +0000

Cheyenne F1

The Cheyenne F1 is part of the Capsicum Annuum Spices of chillies, it is a compact, bushy, early ripening variety, which grows to about 45cm high.

It is idea for growing in grow bags or containers on the patio, it produces lots of bright orange fruits which the plants holds well enabling them to be harvested when required.

Seeds are available from The Chilli Pepper Company, Beara Seeds as well as Nickys-Nursery

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Chilli Varieties:- Chilly Chilli Ornamental F1 Pepper

Hot Juan — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:48:08 +0000

Chilly Chilli

This Chilli is what they call a “Child/Family Safe” variety as its fruits have no heat, it is an ideal patio plant with its beautiful display of up to 5 cm long peppers which are held above the foliage. The peppers start out greenish yellow, gradually changing to orange and maturing to dark red, as you can see from the picture you get all the stages on display.

This long lasting variety requires good soil and plenty of moisture and matures at about 40cm inches tall. it is part of the Capsicum Annuum Species, probably the most common of all the Domesticated Capsicums.

You can find seeds online at Nicky’s Nursery