Chilli Varieties


Chilli Varieties
Here is a selection of the easier to find chillis, which will give you a good idea if you are getting started. Most are readily available and some seed companies which will supply these and more can be found on our links pages. More details and pictures can be found on our yearly growing diary pages. Fresh and Dried chilli descriptions with approx heat scales 1 - 10 Fresh chillis will keep for about 2 weeks if kept covered in the bottom of a refrigerator, dried chillis should be stored in airtight bags in the dark.

	Ají About 4 to 5 inches long, medium fleshed, with a fruity flavour. This chile is used to make a yellow mole sauce and is good in salsas.
	Anaheim About 4 to 5 inches long, medium to thick flesh, with a fresh green taste improved by charring, usually available in its green form, close relative to the New Mexico Chllli. Not too hot this green chilli so it can be roasted and stuffed.
	Anchos About 3 to 4 inches long, these are dried poblano chillis, a dark reddish brown chilli with a wrinkled surface, fairly mild, thickish flesh with a sweet earthy flavour of liquorice, tobacco, coffee and raisins. Used in mole, enchilada sauces, tamales and stews. The traditional mole has Ancho, Mulato and Pasilla Chillis.
	Antohi Romanian About 3 to 4 inches long, these tapered pointed fruits ripen from pale yellow to orange/red. Early with a heavy yield. Originating in Romania these sweet peppers are usually fried in a hot pan. (Grown 2002 see diary) Sweet Pepper no heat
	Apache About 2 inches long, makes a good dwarf pot plant, good crop of chillis all summer, plant reaches about 12-16 inches high. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Arbol About 3 inches long, these pointy fiery little devils have a scorching heat. More often available in dried form when they are bright to dark red. Used in flavouring oils and vinegars.
	Aurora Small colouful ornamental, tapered upright fruit about 1.5 inches long ripens from dark purple to orange to red. Easily grown in a pot on the windowsill reaching about a foot high. (Grown 2002 see diary)
	Bangalore Torpedo These hot chillis will grow into 3 inch long twisted and hooked curly fruits. Good for cooking with a clean hot flavour, ripening to red. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Banana About 6 inches long, this crisp, thick fleshed, mild to medium hot chilli is also known as the Hungarian wax chilli. Used in sauces or can be roasted and stuffed. Usually found pickled, good as a snack.
	Bulgarian Carrot About 4-5 inches long, crisp, thick fleshed hot chilli, the colour and shape of a carrot. Good for pickling or roasting and stuffing. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Caribbean Red About 1 to 2 inches round. These are as HOT as the Red Savina. Apart from the heat they have a wonderful fruity flavour. Unfortunately weather and sun makes them harder to ripen in the UK. Used in salsas, chutneys and Caribbean cuisine, mixing especially well in salsas with fruit. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Cascabel Meaning rattle in Spanish due to the rattling sound when shaken, about 1 to 2 inches, dark reddish brown, smooth and round in shape, this chilli is medium hot used in sauces, salsas soups and stews. (Grown 2000 see diary)
	Cayenne About 4 to 6 inches long, these thin fleshed chillis are available fresh in green or red depending if they've been ripened on the bush, has an acidic tart flavour. Used in chilli sauces but main use is its powdered form- cayenne pepper.
	Cherry Bomb 1.5 - 2 inches pendant shaped fruit. Early and productive fruits ripen from dark green to red. (Grown 2002 see diary)
	Chilaca Measuring 6 to 9 inches long ripening to dark brown. Sometimes pickled or used in sauces but mainly dried, known as chile pasilla or chile negro, see the pasilla description further down the page. (Grown 2000 see diary)
	Chipotle About 1 to 3 inches long, these chillis are made by drying and smoking Jalapeño peppers, these wrinkly chillis have a thick flesh with a smokey sweet nutty flavour and a hint of chocolate. Good in everything, added to soups, stews and casseroles. Smoke your own chipotles
	Chilhaucle Negro About 2 to 3 inches long, this dark mahogany chilli has an intense fruit flavour and is shaped like a miniature bell pepper. Used in soups and stews and in black mole sauces with its dark purple colour.
	Chocolate Habanero About 5cm deep, probably one of the later to mature habanero's. Ripens from green to a chocolate brown. Used in salsas, chutneys and Caribbean cuisine, mixing especially well in salsas with fruit. (Grown 2006 see diary)
	Choricero About 4 inches long, this is an extremely sweet and mild Spanish chilli. Used in sauces, soups and stews and is large enough to stuff.
	Costeño Amarillo Anything from 1 to 3 inches long, this shiny amber chilli has a thin flesh and has a light lemony green flavour. Used in yellow moles, soups stews and salsas.
	Czechoslovakian Black Plant produces good early yields of 2 inch long hot peppers. Peppers grow upright and turn from black, to red when mature. Plant has fuzzy green stems, fuzzy green leaves, and purple flowers. (Grown 2003 see diary)
	Garden Salsa About 18cm long, ripening to red, smooth medium thick fleshed chilli. Great in salsas and salads with not much heat. Good for stuffing. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Guajillo About 12cm long, shiny deep orange red, these thin fleshed chillis are fairly mild with a sweet earthy taste. Used in salsas and chilli sauces, soups and stews.
	Habanero About 5cm round. BEWARE these are one of the hottest chillis you can get. Apart from the heat if you get that far they have a wonderful fruity flavour. Close cousin to the scotch bonnet, they come in all colours. Used in salsas, chutneys and Caribbean cuisine, mixing especially well in salsas with fruit.
	Jalapeño About 7cm long, medium heat, widely available in its green form. Tends to have more of a rounded end than a point which could be a Kenyan chilli instead. Widely used in Mexican cooking, great stuffed with cheese and grilled or BBQ'd.
	Jaloro About 6cm long, similar to jalapeño, thick fleshed, fairly sweet, clean flavoured medium hot chilli. This chilli is a developed yellow jalapeño which will ripen to a golden yellow. Early to ripen. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Jamaican Hot About 4cm, related to the habanero and scotch bonnet. Bright red, thin fleshed and hot. Hot and sweet fruity flavoured and like the habanero goes well in salsas, chutneys and Caribbean cuisine, mixing especially well in salsas with fruit.

	Kenyan About 7cm long, medium heat, widely available in its green form. Used in place of Jalapeño in all mexican cooking, can be eaten stuffed whole although fairly warm.
	Lipstick Up to 12cm long, sweet red pepper ripening from green to red. Crisp pepper with a good flavour for salsas or frying. Sweet Pepper no heat
	Marbles Clumps of small 1 cm round chillis ripening from pale yellow to a deep red. Compact plant growing to about 40cm high in a pot. Early to mature.
	Medusa Upright 4cm long, hot chilli turning from pale yellow to orange and red. Good little ornamental plant for growing on a sunny windowsill, the plant will grow only about 30cm high but will continually give lots of edible chillis. Easy to grow and ripens early. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Mirasol About 7cm long, this chilli grows upright hence its name meaning looking at the sun. Fruits ripen from green to translucent red with a fruity flavour. (Grown 2000 see diary)
	Mulato About 7cm long, deep dark brown dried chilli of medium flesh similar to anchos, fairly mild with a smokey liquorice taste, more smokier than the Ancho. Traditionally used in sauces, chile pastes, enchiladas, and chile con carne to add a distinctive rich mellow flavour. The traditional mole has Ancho, Mulato and Pasilla Chills.
	Naga About 7cm long, thin fleshed, this is the Bangladeshi version of the Habanero and Jamaican Scotch Bonnet. In common with its Caribbean relatives, it has a scorching heat backed up by a distinctive fruity aroma.
	Nu Mex About 12cm long, medium fleshed varying in heat, sweet and earthy. The New Mexico Green is excellent in stews, sauces and salsas and excellent stuffed, freezing well they make an all year round chilli. Available in various strains - Sunrise, Sunset, Twilight and Eclipse. (Grown 2000 see diary)
	Nu Mex Red About 12cm long, also known as the chilli colorado, dried version of the red variety although all varieties of Nu Mex can be found dried, thin fleshed with an earthy flavour. The red dried ones are sweet and fruity. Used in red sauces and stews, good roasted or stuffed when fresh, also used decoratively in the making of ristras.
	Orange Habanero About 5cm deep, faily early to ripen habanero. Ripens from green to a orange. Used in salsas, chutneys and Caribbean cuisine, mixing especially well in salsas with fruit. (Grown 2006 see diary)
	Pasilla About 12cm long thin fleshed chilli, dark raisin brown and wrinkled with herbaceous tones and a hint of liquorice. Also sold as chilli negro. Used with Mulato and Ancho to make the traditional mole sauce. Good in all sorts of sauces. (Grown 2000 see diary)
	Peter Pepper About 9cm long rare ornamental chilli. Medium thick fleshed with a sweet hot flavour when ripened to red. Mainly ornamental but can be used in salsas. (Grown 2000 see diary)
	Poblano Up to 14cm long, thick fleshed varying in heat between medium to hot. The green poblano is always cooked or roasted and never eaten raw. Roasting will give a smokier flavour. Versatile chile, good for stuffing as thick fleshed. (Grown 2000 see diary)
	Poinsettia About 7cm long, this very hot chilli will grow upright in clusters, fruit will ripen to red and makes an attractive pot plant about 70cm high. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Prairie Fire Early ornamental with 3cm upright chillis, ripening from cream to orange to reds. Good for growing on windowsills to about 40cm high with plenty of fruit.
	Pretty Purple Early ornamental with 2cm round chillis, ripening from purple to red. Good for growing on windowsills to about 40cm high with plenty of fruit.
	Ring Of Fire About 9cm long, turning from green to red. Can be grown in pots on a windowsill as the plant will grow to about 90cm high. Plenty of thin tapered chillis developing early in the season. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Robustini About 10cm long, thick fleshed mild chilli. Harvested when yellow to green and commonly pickled. Probably seen in deli bars for sandwiches. (Grown 2000 see diary)
	Rooster Spur Very hot little 1cm upright tapered chillis. Small compact bush, good for pots, gets covered in hundreds of chillis. (Grown 2003 see diary)
	Scutaba Habanero About 3-4cm deep, very prolific, faily early to ripen habanero. Ripens from green to a bright red. Used in salsas, chutneys and Caribbean cuisine, mixing especially well in salsas with fruit. (Grown 2006 see diary)
	Serrano About 6cm long, thick fleshed chilli, shaped like a bullet, it has a clean fresh green flavour with a blistering heat. Grown word wide, turns light green to red and used in many bottled chilli sauces. Used in salsas, or good for pickling, the riper red version is sweeter than the green. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Super Chilli About 4cm upright pointed chilli, compact and a very productive chilli plant giving lots of fruit, ripening to orange and red. Fiery heat good in Thai and Asian cooking, or pickle them if you get too many. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Super Shepherd About 12cm long, sweet Italian pepper, thick fleshed with juicy strong flavour, ripening to dark red. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Tabasco About 4cm long, turning from pale green to orange to red. The chilli has a thin flesh and an intense heat and go into the making of Tabasco sauce which originates from Tabasco in Mexico. Substitute cayenne as they are not widely available.
	Tennesse Teardrop Upright 3-4cm teardrop chilli ripening from a mottled light purple to a bright red. Good plant for a pot growing to about 50cm.
	Thai Hot Ornamental compact little bush about 90 cm high, so can be grown on a windowsill. Lots of 2cm upright very hot chillis ripening to red, good in oriental dishes. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Tri Colour Variegata Stunning ornamental with 2cm purple chillis. Good for growing on windowsills to about 1 foot high with plenty of fruit. Each plant will look completely different with the amount of variegation on the leaves, white to green to purple. (Grown 2001 see diary)
	Whippets Tail Very long 30cm green to red chillis, medium fleshed and of medium heat. (Grown 2003 see diary)