Variety of chili pepper
For other uses, including peppers with similar names, see
Birdseye
.
Bird's eye chili
or
Thai chili
(
Thai
:
??????????
,
romanized
:
prik ki nu
,
lit.
''mouse-dropping chili'' owing to its shape) is a
chili pepper
variety
from the species
Capsicum annuum
that is native to Mexico. Cultivated across Southeast Asia, it is used extensively in many
Asian cuisines
. It may be mistaken for a similar-looking chili derived from the species
Capsicum frutescens
, the cultivar
siling labuyo
.
Capsicum frutescens
fruits are generally smaller and characteristically point upwards. In the Marianas and Guam these are often called boonie peppers or Doni Sali, though these can also have elements of
Capsicum chinense
.
Description
[
edit
]
The bird's eye chili plant is a
perennial
with small, tapering fruits, often two or three, at a node. The fruits are very pungent.
The bird's eye chili is small, but is quite hot. It measures around 50,000 ? 100,000
Scoville units
, which is less than a
habanero
, but many times hotter than the spiciest
jalapenos
.
[2]
Origins
[
edit
]
All chilis found around the world today have their origins in Mexico, Central America, and South America.
[3]
They were spread by
Spanish
and
Portuguese
colonists, missionaries, and traders, together with many other now common crops, such as
maize
, tomatoes and pineapples, through the
Columbian Exchange
. The chili varieties found in Southeast Asia today were brought there in the 16th or 17th centuries.
[4]
[5]
Uses
[
edit
]
Cooking
[
edit
]
In
Indonesian cuisine
, these chilis are widely used in a variety of dishes and
sambals
. The whole green bird's eye chili is also eaten raw as a side dish for
gorengan
(deep-fried foods).
[7]
In
Vietnamese cuisine
, these chilis are used in soups, salads, and stir-fried dishes. They are also put in a wide variety of sauces, pastes, and marinades, used as a condiment or eaten raw, both fresh and dried.
In
Thai cuisine
, these chilis are highly valued for their fruity taste and extreme spiciness. They are extensively used in many
Thai dishes
, such as in
Thai curries
and in
Thai salads
, green as well as the ripe red chilis; or they can just be eaten raw on the side, with for instance,
khao kha mu
(stewed pork trotter served with rice).
Thai Ornamentals
[
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]
The more decorative, but slightly less pungent chili, sometimes known as "Thai ornamental", has peppers that point upward on the plant, and range from green to yellow, orange, and then red. It is the basis for the hybrid cultivar "
Numex twilight
", essentially the same, but less pungent, and starting with purple fruit, creating a rainbow effect. These peppers can grow wild in places such as
Saipan
and
Guam
.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
DeWitt, D.; Bosland, P.W. (2009).
The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener's Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking
. Timber Press.
ISBN
978-0-88192-920-1
.
- ^
"The world's 10 hottest chillies"
.
Australia Geographic
. 2011-09-13.
- ^
Andrews, Jean (1995).
"Historical Background"
.
Peppers: the Domesticated Capsicums
. Austin, Texas, USA: University of Texas Press. pp. 1?10.
- ^
Robinson, Simon (14 June 2007).
"Chili Peppers: Global Warming"
.
Time
.
- ^
Joe Cummings (2000).
Thailand
. Lonely Planet. pp. 79?.
ISBN
978-1-86450-026-4
.
- ^
"Nam Pla Prik ?????????? - The Ubiquitous Thai Table Sauce"
.
SheSimmers
. 2010-02-16.
- ^
Jaenudin, Mohammad.
"Makan Gorengan Dan Cabe Dengan Tangan Kanan"
(in Indonesian)
. Retrieved
14 May
2023
.