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Foodies | South Africa
Ingredients 36

How Hot Is Too Hot When It Comes To Chillies?

By Pat Elk · On 18 September 2013

Some people are very sensitive to heat and even the slightest hint of chilli causes them extreme discomfort. Others seem able to handle even the hottest of chillies with ease. With our family all growing up in Durban before we moved to Cape Town, we’ve always loved a bit of a bite in our food. So I decided to plant a range of chillies to test for ourselves just how hot the different varieties are for us.

In our search for different types of chillies, we were able to find serrano, habanero, jalapeno, cayenne and bird’s eye chillies quite easily, but we couldn’t find a producer or supplier of scotch bonnets. We really wanted to try this specific chilli as part of a Jamaican jerk chicken recipe, which calls for the distinctive fruity and fiery flavour that scotch bonnet chillies add to the dish. After searching in vain for a couple of weeks, we eventually concluded that if we couldn’t find someone who could sell us the scotch bonnets, we’d grow the things ourselves. All we needed were seeds – and that would be easy, right?

We rushed over to our local garden centre and browsed through the ranges offered by the big name seed providers. Tons of chillies, zero scotch bonnets. The more nurseries we tried, the more the same pattern continued. We eventually solved the case by finding an online seed provider who was only too happy to send us the seeds we were looking for (sold in batches of five) and two weeks later we’re the proud owners of genuine scotch bonnet seeds – all thirty of them. As mother nature would have it, it’s spring in South Africa and the perfect time to plant them, though it’ll take about six months before we see (and taste) the fruits of our labours. We can’t wait to begin experimenting with the heat and flavour of these chillies.

And what a great heat it is. The scotch bonnet’s scorching talents have made this little chilli a force to be reckoned with, scoring between 100,000 and 350,000 on the Scoville Scale. Developed by William Scoville in 1912, the Scoville Scale provides a measurement of how hot a chilli pepper is. It was put together by using a panel of human tasters who would taste a sample of a chilli pepper that was diluted in a sugar solution, and then report what level of dilution was required so that the pepper no longer tasted hot. This has ultimately not proven to be a very reliable system and has since been replaced by a method called High-performance Liquid Chromatography, which reads the chemical fingerprint of capsaicin (the active component in chillies that causes an irritant or burning sensation) in a pepper and measures exactly how much capsaicin it contains.

There are so many different chilli types worldwide and we don’t intend to list them all, but to indicate the differentials in the heat intensity, here are a few of them from lowest to the highest on the Scoville Scale:

  • Bell pepper, the red, yellow and green ones used in cooking and salads every day: 0
  • Pimento chilli, the one used to make paprika: 100-900
  • Jalapeno chilli, the one favoured for chilli poppers: 3,500-8,000
  • Serrano chilli, the one where the heat sneaks up on you a little while later: 10,000-23,000
  • Bird’s Eye chilli, indigenous to Africa, the one the Durbanites call ‘the devil chilli’, used to make peri-peri: 50,000-100,000
  • Scotch Bonnet chilli, used a lot in Caribbean cooking that can cause extreme irritation to the skin: 100,000-350,000
  • Bhut Jolokia chilli, grown in India and known as ‘the ghost pepper’, this one is dangerously hot: 855,000-1,463,700
  • Trinidad Moruga Scorpion chilli, the hottest chilli in the world: 1,500,000-2,000,000

So now you know the numbers as to how hot you can go, but how easy are chillies to grow? Very easy indeed, and so versatile too – they’ll grow in pots or containers on a balcony or in the garden.

Chillies love the sun and heat (surprise, surprise) and well-drained soil, and hate being over watered or over fertilised. This means they need to be protected from frost, if that applies to your garden. Over fertilising will yield abundant and beautifully green foliage, but few or no chillies. Over watering will lead to rotting of the flower buds, so rather give them less water more regularly so that you’re in the sweet spot between flooding them and drying them out.

Ready to add a bit of sizzle to your cooking? Choose your heat and start planting!

bell pepperbhut jolokiabirds eyecayennechillichilliesghost pepperhabaneroheathotjalapeñopepperspimentoscotch bonnetscoville scaleserranotrinidad scorpion
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Pat Elk

I've always loved cooking, especially with freshly picked ingredients. Between my herb and veggie patch, and sprawling collection of cookbooks and kitchen tools, I'm proud to admit that I'm a food adventurer, kitchen garden ecologist, gadget collector, and insatiable recipe enthusiast.

36 Comments

  • mike says: 17 March 2014 at 5:54 pm

    Could u please share the name of the website or contact u purchased the scotch bonnet chilli seeds from cheers mike

    Reply
    • admin says: 17 March 2014 at 5:59 pm

      Hi Mike

      Go to http://www.seedsforafrica.co.za/products/jamaican-yellow-scotch-bonnet.

      Let us know how you get on!

      Pat

      Reply
    • Pete Van Zyl says: 13 February 2016 at 6:43 am

      I am looking for the “hottest Cayenne Pepper” in powder form, available in South Africa. I have only been able to fine the ‘bog standard” powder as sold in supermarkets and herbal stores. Can anyone direct me to a supplier of 50,000+ Scoville scale type???

      Reply
  • Michelle West says: 7 April 2014 at 5:34 pm

    Hello,

    Can you tell me where to find:

    1. Infinity Chilli
    2. Bhut Jolokia
    3. Trinidad Scorpion Butch T Pepper
    4. Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
    5. Carolina Reaper

    In South Africa, without having to grow them myself?

    Reply
    • Pat Elk says: 9 August 2014 at 4:33 pm

      Hi Michelle

      Thanks for stopping by. I do not know of anyone in South Africa that would keep these chillies for sale. Perhaps you would need to search the internet to find suppliers

      Regards
      Pat

      Reply
    • Pieter says: 16 October 2014 at 1:12 pm

      Hi Michelle.
      A friend of mine farms with them. Where do you stay? By them I mean the reapers and both trinidad varieties.

      Reply
      • Lumka says: 2 November 2014 at 5:26 pm

        Hi Pieter,
        I would also like to get some. I have just planted some jalepones, habanero and tabasco. I’m looking for hotter plants and a black chilli but I don’t know what that is called. I’m based in Pretoria. If possible could you also hook me up. Thanks in advance

        Reply
      • Johonny hexburg says: 1 March 2017 at 9:20 pm

        we stock them all

        Reply
        • Jody says: 15 May 2018 at 8:44 pm

          Hi Johonny.
          Please send me your contact details if you still stock the super-hots.
          Thanks. Jody.

          Reply
      • Mabuke Sekhukhune says: 3 January 2018 at 10:10 am

        Hi Pieter, years have passed but could you pls give me contacts for your farmer friends? Mabukes @gmail.com

        Reply
    • Pieter says: 16 October 2014 at 8:26 pm

      Vaalgarlic@gmail.com is his e-mail.

      Reply
    • Thomas Seshoka says: 22 March 2016 at 2:01 pm

      Hi Mitchele did you manage to get any respond from your of the hot chillies you were looking for, if any u did any positive responds can you share that with me l am interested in plating the hottest chillies in the world. I bhut jolokia, tridad moruga scorpion and the latest one carolina reaper are topping. 0726925092 on whatsapp

      Reply
    • alan says: 25 April 2017 at 10:25 pm

      i grow the ghost and reaper

      Reply
    • Lucas says: 17 May 2017 at 7:56 pm

      Seeds for Africa

      Reply
  • Neren says: 31 January 2015 at 9:16 pm

    Hi Pieter i’m from durban can u please tell me how i can get the following reapers an both varieties of the trinidad thanks

    Reply
  • Ce says: 13 April 2015 at 2:38 pm

    I am also interested in buying the actual pepper too.
    We are located in Centurion.
    How far away is Vaal from there?

    Reply
  • Robin says: 4 May 2015 at 10:12 am

    I want to buy 1000 chilli seedlings in the western Cape. Looking for different varieties.
    0788284515

    Reply
    • alan says: 25 April 2017 at 10:29 pm

      tell me what you want i cannot supply seedlings to expensive to post but i do have a varity of seeds

      Reply
  • Martin says: 29 July 2015 at 4:32 pm

    Try livingseeds.co.za for lots of chilli varieties, including Bhut Jolokia and Trinidad Moruga Scorpion.

    Reply
  • Robyn says: 30 September 2015 at 11:32 am

    Hi, may I ask where you found (red) serrano peppers in Cape Town? And have you every come across red jalapeno peppers here?

    THanks so much, Robyn

    Reply
  • Jeremy says: 29 October 2015 at 4:22 pm

    Could you please provide a number or address as I would like to buy at least 10 kg of the hot stuff on a regular basis. Thank you.

    Reply
  • Ruwayda says: 19 January 2016 at 9:27 pm

    Hi there. Im from Cape Town . I have chilli trees for sale. If anyone interested you may contact me via email thanks.

    Reply
    • Philip says: 4 November 2016 at 2:24 pm

      Hi Ruwayda – Please give me more information on your chili seedlings!

      Reply
    • Lynda says: 19 December 2016 at 1:17 pm

      Hi looking to buy scotch bonnet tree if anyone has available contact me on swordgroup@ymail.com

      Reply
  • marcel says: 4 April 2016 at 5:21 pm

    hi i am looking to buy one ton of jalapeno peppers please help with this order

    Reply
  • Anne`` says: 30 May 2016 at 1:49 pm

    Hi Pat. Any idea where to get Poblano/Ancho chillies. Prefer seedlings but seeds would do. I don’t think Seedsforafrica would be too charmed at sending me 1 packet. Thanks Anne

    Reply
  • Audrey says: 12 November 2016 at 4:40 pm

    Hi! I have planted 50ha of cayenne peppers.
    I am looking for a good market
    Regards

    Reply
    • Pat Elk says: 12 November 2016 at 9:04 pm

      If anyone knows of a good market, please comment.

      Reply
  • Saraj says: 17 November 2016 at 2:02 pm

    Hi

    Please help looking to buy Bird eye chills … I live in Centurion

    Reply
    • alan says: 25 April 2017 at 10:31 pm

      l have seeds

      Reply
  • saroj says: 17 November 2016 at 2:33 pm

    Hi …..Please help looking for bird eye chills .I live in Centurion

    Reply
  • Melvin Clewlow says: 8 May 2017 at 11:32 pm

    Coming over to Capetown in Feb 2018 from the UK, will I be able to bring seeds or dried pods into South Africa

    Reply
    • Pat Elk says: 9 May 2017 at 6:26 am

      Hi Melvin

      Thank you for visiting our site

      According to the SA Revenue Services, the following fall under restricted goods:
      Food, plants, animals and biological goods: All plants and plant products, such as seeds, flowers, fruit, honey, margarine and vegetable oils. All animals, birds, poultry and products thereof, for example, dairy products, butter and eggs.

      Contact your local Agriculture Department for further clarity as they may be allowed under certain conditions??

      Reply
  • Ian Taylor says: 13 August 2017 at 10:14 am

    Hi, I am based at Chameleon Village in Haarties where I have a small nursery. Specialise in herbs and have access to seed for some 338 different chillis from the Carolina Reaper down to Green peppers. Dont have a website but am on Facebook, so follow me there and you can see what I have planted and have available for sale. Kind Regards

    Reply
  • Add spice to your holiday with peppers galore! - Hecker Nursery says: 15 December 2017 at 8:10 pm

    […] peppers make great gifts for the foodie in the family or can serve as a summer project for kids. You can make your own chilli infused oil […]

    Reply
  • wayne says: 6 June 2018 at 4:42 am

    Hi Guys

    I am from Durban

    I would love to purchase some Trinidad, scotch Bonnet and Bhut Jolokia, please help me and let me know were in Durban or Surrounding areas I can find them

    thanks

    Reply
  • Leave a Reply to Lynda Cancel reply

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