Habanero Chilli Pepper

Navigation

Search By Heat

Search By Product

Chilli Catalogue > Chilli Pepper Varieties > Habanero chilli

Habanero Chilli Peppers

Habanero Chilli Peppers

The Habanero chilli is one of the most intensely spicy species of chilli pepper. Unripe Habaneros are green and the colour at maturity varies with orange and red being the most common, but white, brown, and pink are also seen.

The Habanero pepper originated in South America, most likely the Amazon basin or nearby coastal regions. Upon its rediscovery by Europeans, it was rapidly disseminated around the world, to the point that 18th-century taxonomists mistook China for its place of origin and called it "capsicum chinense", the Chinese pepper.

The Habanero's name is derived from the name of the Cuban city of La Habana, also known as Havana. Today, the crop is most widely cultivated in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and accompanies most dishes in the region, either in solid, puree or salsa form. Other modern producers include Belize, Panama, Costa Rica, and some U.S. states including Texas, Idaho, and California.

The Scotch Bonnet is often compared to the Habanero since they are two varieties of the same species but have different pod types. Both the Scotch Bonnet and the Habanero have the characteristic thin, waxy flesh. They have a similar heat level and flavour. Although both varieties average around the same level of heat, the actual degree of "heat" varies greatly with genetics, growing methods, climate, and plant stress.

Recently, the Habanero's heat, its fruity, citrus-like flavour, and its floral aroma have made it a popular ingredient in hot sauces and spicy foods. Several growers have attempted to selectively breed Habanero plants to produce hotter, heavier, and larger peppers. The Naga Jolokia is a chilli that has a very high Scoville rating that reaches over 1 million and is often mistaken for a cultivar of the Habanero pepper, although it is actually its own species. Most Habaneros will rate between 200,000 and 300,000 on the Scoville scale.

Researchers in Texas have recently created a mild version of the Habanero pepper which retains the aroma and flavour of the traditional Habanero pepper. The milder version was obtained by crossing the Yucatan Habanero pepper with a heatless Habanero from Bolivia over several generations. These mild Habaneros are expected to be widely available to consumers in the near future.

The following products in our range contain Habanero peppers:

Chilli Catalogue > Chilli Pepper Varieties > Habanero chilli