ALEPPO (C. annuum) This wonderful little chilli is an icon of Middle-Eastern cooking. A blend of spicy heat and fruitiness it is used extensively as dried flakes. It makes sensational chilli powder too but I really like using this chilli fresh too. An exceptional variety with a history that goes back to its place in some of the most iconic cuisine of what was known as the Fertile Crescent.
Also known as the Halaby or Halabi chilli, so called because it is the name given to people from Aleppo and its region. It is also an Arabic name for the city.
COCHITI (C. annuum) A gently spicy but sweet pepper that can be used in a variety of dishes both when unripe and green and fully ripe and red. Has wonderful gentle heat and lots of fruitiness. This is an American heirloom that was bred by the Cochiti Pueblo people whose community is a few miles south of Santa Fe in New Mexico. Highly threatened due to lack of cultivation. Given to me by my Danish friend Eva.
DEDO DE MOÇA (C. baccatum) This is a mildly hot chilli with a smokey flavour that is an essential part of Brazilian cuisine and food culture. Used both fresh and dried where it is sold as Calabressa pepper. Does best under cover. The plants will grow to at least a metre in height with heavy crops of large fruits that are redolent of other Aji types such as Lemon Drop. A fantastic addition in the kitchen. Dries happily on a sunny window sill and freezes well to.
FALERONE (C. annuum) This very yummy large and medium hot Cayenne pepper was given to me by a Danish grower called Eva. I have much to thank her for. Fantastically versatile. Makes a great mild chilli power too. freezes well.
GERRARD’S TOBAGO A fairly hot local variety given to me by my friend Gerrard who particularly liked this variety when he visited the island and I agree with him. Does well in a large pot on a sunny windowsill or a warm sheltered and sunny spot in your garden or balcony
HSIPAW STILETTO (c. annuum) From Shan state Myanmar this gently spicy chilli is a commercial variety that, like other very long and slender varieties one might find in Turkey for example, is delicious pickled when green but equally is a wonderful addition to spice up a dish when harvested red and ripe.
MATHANIA. (C. annuum) This is a famous Rajasthan heritage variety that had been considered extinct due to crossing with modern cultivars now grown by farmers. I found it on a remote farm in the Mathania district of central Rajasthan. It had been grown by the family for generations and when my guide saw them drying in the sun he burst into tears as he hadn’t seen this fruity, spicy yet not too hot chilli for many years. Prolific and easy to grow under glass. Great both fresh and dried.
PIMENTON D’ESPELETE. (C. annuum) A French heritage variety that is used as a condiment in local cuisine. Easy to grow with heavy crops of large medium spicy fruits which should be dried and then milled for use as course chilli powder or as an alternative to pepper. Great on scrambled eggs and sprinkled on frittata as well as to spice up casseroles and sauces. I cannot imagine my larder without it!
ROMANIAN GIALLO. A fine heritage chilli whose long pale green fruits ripen to yellow and when fully ripe can show an orange tip. A mild chilli that can be dried for flake’s, grilled and used in a variety of dishes which demand some subtle heat and the fruity flavour of this famous old variety
SULAWESI. (C. annuum) I found this chilli in a market on the island of Sulawesi in 1990. It grows to 4″ is pencil thin and very hot. Prolific, Early and easy to grow but can be slow to germinate. Does well in a border and outside in a sheltered sunny spot.
PUBESCENS ROCOTTO. (C. pubescens) A different species of chilli that comes from the highlands of Bolivia. Remarkably hardy and long lived. If kept in a frost-free greenhouse it will live for many years. Makes a wonderful house plant as it will fruit from July until February. I cut back hard after the last fruit have been harvest, root prune and re-pot. Beautiful purple flowers, plum-sized hot and spicy fruits with black seeds. If I could only grow one chilli this would be it.
