Chillies and pods

Capsicum in every heat and colour, and the pods of cardamom and vanilla.

A pod: a chilli, curved, with its cap and stem. Dried, it is kept whole, flaked or ground.

Chillies are the fruit of Capsicum plants from the Americas. Fresh or dried, whole or ground, they bring heat, colour and fruity flavour to cooking on every continent.

What they are

Capsicum species were domesticated in the Americas thousands of years ago. After 1492 the plant spread across the world within a few generations. Heat comes from capsaicin, mostly in the white pith and seeds, and is measured on the Scoville scale. Paprika, cayenne, Kashmiri chilli, ancho and habanero are all chillies.

How they are used

Chillies are eaten fresh, dried, smoked, pickled, or made into pastes and sauces. Dried chillies are toasted, soaked and ground in Mexico, while flakes like Aleppo pepper and gochugaru go straight onto food. A small amount gives colour with little heat, and a large amount gives fire.

Buying and keeping

Dried chillies should be supple and glossy, not brittle and pale. Store them in a closed jar. Ground chilli fades in colour and should be used within months. Wash hands after handling hot chillies and avoid touching the eyes.

Chilli on EveryMasala

The spices written up so far, best known first.

🇵🇪 Peru and 5 moreChili pepperchīlli The pungent berry of the Capsicum plant, used to add heat to dishes worldwide.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep

🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreChipotle Smoke-dried ripe jalapeño peppers used in Mexican and Tex-Mex cookingChilli · Hot and fiery · Smoky

🇧🇷 Brazil and 5 moreMalagueta peppermalagueta A small, fiery chili from Capsicum frutescens used across Portuguese-speaking regions.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇪🇸 SpainChoricero pepperspimiento choricero A dried red pepper from Spain used to make rich stews and sauces.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Smoky 🇺🇸 United StatesHabanaga pepper A hot New Mexican chilli born from an accidental habanero and ghost pepper crossChilli · Hot and fiery

🇳🇵 Nepal and 2 moreDalle Khursaniडल्ले खुर्सानी A round, fiery chilli from the Himalayas, known for its intense heat and vitamin content.Chilli · Hot and fiery

🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreJalapeño A medium-sized Capsicum annuum cultivar from Mexico known for its green pods and moderate heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreGhost pepperbhut jolokia A superhot chili from Northeast India with over one million Scoville units of heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery

🇺🇸 United StatesCarolina Reaper A gnarled red cultivar of Capsicum chinense bred in South Carolina for extreme heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow

🇵🇹 Portugal and 5 morePiri piri A very hot African cultivar of Capsicum frutescens used for spicy sauces and marinadesChilli · Hot and fiery

🇲🇽 Mexico and 3 moreBird's eye chiliพริกขี้หนู A small, intensely hot cultivar of Capsicum annuum native to Mexico and widely grown in Southeast Asia.Chilli · Hot and fiery

🇸🇾 Syria and 1 moreAleppo pepperفلفل حلبي A moderately spicy, fruity flake from Syria and Turkey, named for the city of Aleppo.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow

🇫🇷 France and 1 moreEspelette pepperpiment d'Espelette A mild Basque chili with sweet, fruity notes and protected origin status.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery

🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 morePoblano A mild Mexican chili pepper that becomes the dried ancho when mature.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreRed Savina A selectively bred cultivar of Capsicum chinense known for its intense heat and wrinkled red fruit.Chilli · Hot and fiery

🇨🇳 China and 2 moreCrushed red pepper Dried and crushed chilli peppers, often with seeds, used as a spicy condiment.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep

🇮🇹 ItalyPeperoncino A hot Italian chili pepper used in southern cuisine, dried and crushed for heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreFresno chile A medium-sized Capsicum annuum cultivar with a conical shape and bright red skin.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow

🇹🇷 TurkeyUrfa biber A sun-dried and night-wrapped chili from Turkey with a smoky, raisin-like taste.Chilli · Smoky · Sweet and mellow

🇵🇭 PhilippinesSiling haba A long, bright green chili from the Philippines, prized for moderate heat in sour and savory stews.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 moreBishop's crown A wrinkled, three-sided Capsicum baccatum cultivar with mild heat and a sweet flavor.Chilli · Sweet and mellow

🇻🇪 Venezuela and 5 moreAjí dulce A mild, sweet perennial pepper from the Caribbean and Latin America, used as a seasoning base.Chilli · Smoky · Sweet and mellow

🇨🇳 ChinaEr jing tiao二荆条 A fragrant Chinese chili cultivar prized for its deep hue and medium heatChilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇵🇪 Peru and 1 moreAjí panca A mild, fruity Peruvian chili used for its deep red color and sun-dried flavor.Chilli · Sweet and mellow 🇧🇷 BrazilCapsicum recurvatum A wild nightshade chili that thrives in the humid forests of Brazil.Chilli · Hot and fiery

🇵🇭 PhilippinesSiling labuyo The tiny, erect-fruited wild chili of the Philippines, known for intense heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreChimayó pepper A prized New Mexico chile cultivar known for its sweet, smoky flavor and twisted dried pods.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Smoky 🇺🇸 United StatesFish pepper A variegated heirloom chili from the Chesapeake Bay, prized for its color-changing fruit and crab dishes.Chilli · Hot and fiery

🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreBig Jim pepper A large, mild New Mexico chile cultivar developed in the United States for green roasting.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery

🇭🇺 HungaryCherry peppercseresznyepaprika A small Capsicum annuum cultivar from Hungary, used for paprika and preserves.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇫🇷 FranceRomenay pepperpiment de Romenay A compact, mild French chili cultivated in the historical province of Bresse.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇨🇳 ChinaXiao Mi La Pepper小米辣 A wild Capsicum frutescens cultivar from southern China, prized for intense heat in spicy regional dishes.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇮🇳 IndiaByadagi chilliಬ್ಯಾಡಗಿ ಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ A deep red, mild cultivar from Karnataka prized for its colour and oleoresin.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇳 IndiaRamanathapuram Mundu chilli A round, mild red chilli from Tamil Nadu with a GI tag.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreMizo chilliHmarchte A pungent Capsicum frutescens cultivar from Mizoram, India, holding a Geographical Indication tag.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇮🇳 IndiaSirarakhong Hathei chilli A long, bitter chilli from Manipur, India, protected by a geographical indication tag.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Bitter

🇮🇳 IndiaBanaras Lal Bharwamirchबनारसी लाल भरवा मिर्च A thick-skinned chilli from Uttar Pradesh, prized for making traditional stuffed pickles.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Bitter 🇮🇳 IndiaNandurbar Mirchiनंदुरबार मिर्च A GI-tagged chilli cultivar from the Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, India.Chilli · Hot and fiery

🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreCapsicum annuum A flowering plant producing berries of many colors and heat levels, from sweet bell peppers to fiery chilies.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow

🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreCapsicum frutescens A small, wild chili species with erect berries, native to the Americas and widely grown in tropical regions.Chilli · Hot and fiery

🇪🇸 SpainPiquillo pepperpimientos del piquillo A sweet, mild red chili cultivar from Northern Spain, prized for its thick flesh and gentle heat.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇮🇳 IndiaGuntur Sannam A long, thick-skinned red chilli from Andhra Pradesh known for its heat and colour.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇨🇳 ChinaHainan yellow lantern chili海南黃燈籠椒 A bright yellow Capsicum chinense cultivar from Hainan Island known for its intense heat and high yield.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇰🇷 South KoreaCheongyang chili pepper청양고추 A medium-sized Korean cultivar of Capsicum annuum with 10,000 Scoville heat units.Chilli · Hot and fiery

🇧🇷 BrazilCapsicum flexuosum A tiny, mildly pungent wild chili native to southern Brazil.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇵🇪 PeruAjí amarillo A golden-orange Peruvian chili with fruity notes and moderate heatChilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 moreCapsicum parvifolium A small-leaved wild chili shrub from northern South AmericaChilli · Hot and fiery

🇸🇷 SurinameMadame Jeanette A fruity, very hot chili cultivar from Suriname with a reddish-yellow skin.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Urfa biber: Fornax, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Chili pepper: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Siling labuyo: Obsidian Soul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Peperoncino: Ramac, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Tabasco pepper: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Jalapeño: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Piri piri: Bovineone at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
Ají dulce: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Fresno chile: Nadiatalent, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Chimayó pepper: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Big Jim pepper: User:Carstor, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Cherry pepper: James Lee, CC BY 2.0, source
Byadagi chilli: Msclrfl22, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Banaras Lal Bharwamirch: Dinesh Chaubey, CC0, source
Capsicum annuum: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain, source
Capsicum baccatum: Retama, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Piquillo pepper: sindändùne -, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Hainan yellow lantern chili: Anna Frodesiak, CC0, source
Capsicum flexuosum: Horticulturalist RJ, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Malagueta pepper: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, source
Dalle Khursani: Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Choricero peppers: Tamorlan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Chipotle: User:Carstor, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Aleppo pepper: Badagnani, CC BY 3.0, source
Crushed red pepper: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ají panca: MiguelAlanCS, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Espelette pepper: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Poblano: stef yau, CC BY 2.0, source
Bird's eye chili: Daniel Risacher, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Red Savina: User Avriette on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Siling haba: Bagoto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Carolina Reaper: Dale Thurber, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Er jing tiao: Borshingwoods, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ghost pepper: Gannon anjo at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
Madame Jeanette: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source