Capsicum frutescens
Piri piri is Swahili for “pepper” and refers to a specific variety of chili that was originally cultivated in Africa. Our spiciest chili variety, this pepper's clean, bright flavor makes it one of the most exciting chilies to keep in your kitchen.
Piri piri has herbal notes and a slightly citrusy flavor that can help bring rich ingredients into balance. Piri piri goes perfectly with poultry and fatty fish and is widely known as the main ingredient of the popular piri piri sauce.
Sprouts in: 1 - 3 weeks
Lasts up to: 12 - 21 weeks
- Piri Piri Chili fruits have a heat level of up to 100.000 on Scoville heat units.
- Piri Piri grows best at 20 - 35 °C / 68 - 95 °F. You can speed up the germination process by raising the temperature to 79°F (26°C).
- If multiple seeds germinate in each pod, leave one seedling to grow per plant pod to ensure enough space and nutrients for the plant to grow. You can find more info and a video about thinning here.
- Do not cut or prune your Piri Piri Chili plant before fruiting - it will form flowers and fruits at the top of the plant.
- Once your plant is flowering, it needs to be pollinated by hand. Do this by gently shaking your plant to carry pollen from one blossom to the next. A guide to pollination is here.
- Warning! The leaves and seeds of the Piri Piri chili can be hot too. It is always a good precaution to wash your hands after touching the chili plant. It is also best to avoid touching your eyes or other sensitive body parts after handling chilies.
