Pili-Pili" bird pepper

What is the hot pepper pili-pili?

The pili-pili is a variety of red pepper. Beware of its small size, it is a powerful pepper that will surprise many. If you can't stand spicy flavors, you'd better not try it. Also called piri-piri, bird's tongue or ndongo, the hot pepper pili-pili is cultivated in different countries, and especially in Madagascar, a country known mainly for its excellent vanilla. It is the Portuguese, Dutch and Spanish conquerors who have crossed the planet making the whole world discover the chilli pepper. However, the cultivation of the pili-pili pepper has remained the prerogative of Africa.

What is the flavor of hot chili pepper?

The pili-pili pepper lives up to its name. It has a strength of 8/10 on the Scoville scale, a scale used to determine the strength of peppers. It is therefore a hot pepper. For comparison, the Espelette pepper is at 4 on this scale while the Cayenne pepper is at 8. Beyond its strength, this hot spice has notes of bell pepper and dried tomato.

Harvesting the pili-pili pepper in the plantations

The pili-pili plant belongs to the Capsicum frutescens species. It is small in size, reaching about 80 cm. It produces small fruits which are picked as soon as their color becomes bright red. If it can be consumed fresh, the hot pepper that I propose you is dried in the sun.

How to use the hot pepper pili-pili in cooking?

You have to be a real hot pepper lover to eat pili-pili. Sensitive souls should not eat it. When you think of this pepper, you immediately imagine a beautiful chili oil to decorate pizzas. Just put some pili-pili in olive oil and let the flavors of this pepper diffuse. You can add some herbs to flavour your preparation (basil, thyme, bay leaf), but also a little garlic. As an appetizer, you can make a sauce with pili-pili pepper with shallots, honey to sweeten a little, soy sauce and olive oil. This sauce will accompany the tortilla chips. In a ratatouille, if you like spicy dishes, the hot pepper pili-pili will find its place. Be careful with the dosage, put only a little and taste it first.

The conservation of hot chilli pepper

My hot chili pepper is delivered in a resealable bag. Keep it away from light and humidity to preserve its taste and its virtues.