Capsicum chinense
Encyclopedia
Capsicum chinense commonly known as "Yellow Lantern Chili", is a species of Chilli Pepper
native to The Americas. C. chinense chillies are well-known for their exceptional heat
.
. Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin
(1727–1817), a Dutch
botanist
, erroneously named the species in 1776, because he believed that they originated in China
.
, are small and white with five petals. When it forms, the fruit varies greatly in colour and shape, with red, orange, and yellow being the most common final colours, but ones such as brown also being known. Some varieties such as C. chinense "Trinidad Scorpion" form far larger (up to two metre) high bushes, with very large fruit yields offset only by the very long 80-120 day ripening time for such fruits. Another similarity with other chilli species would be shallow roots, which are very common in chillies.
, The Yucatan
region, and the Caribbean
islands. In warm climates such as these it behaves as a perennial and can last for several years, but like others, cooler climates normally lead to C. chinense not surviving the winter. However, it will readily germinate from last year's seed the next growing season, and the cycle continues.
where they are also farmed. They are popular with many gardeners for their bright colours (ornamental value) and for their fruit in vegetable gardens.
for joints of meat, usually chicken. The peppers for these dishes are almost always grown/sourced locally, as there are many people in the native regions that grow chillies.
Western food at times also calls for some of these chillies. For example, Habaneros (a group of C. chinense varieties) are commonly used in hot sauces and extra-spicy salsas, due to the popularity of Mexican
food in Western culture. The peppers are also commonly used to add moderate heat to very large quantities of soup and stew in restaurants, in an effort to cut costs (1 hot chilli counts for several mild ones).
. These include:
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
native to The Americas. C. chinense chillies are well-known for their exceptional heat
Scoville scale
The Scoville scale is a measurement of the spicy heat of a chili pepper. The number of Scoville heat units indicates the amount of capsaicin present. Capsaicin is a chemical compound that stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucous membranes.The scale is named after...
.
Taxonomy
Despite its name, Capsicum chinense or "Chinese capsicum" is misleading. All capsica originate in the New WorldNew World Crops
The phrase "New World Crops" is usually used to describe crops that were native to North and South America before 1492 and not found anywhere else in the world at that time...
. Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin
Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin
Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin or Baron Nikolaus von Jacquin. was a scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany....
(1727–1817), a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
botanist
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, erroneously named the species in 1776, because he believed that they originated in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Plant appearance
Within Capsicum chinense, the appearance and characteristics of the plants can vary greatly. Varieties such as the well-known habaneros grow to form a small, compact perennial bush approximately half a metre in height. The flowers, like with most CapsicumsCapsicum
Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas where they have been cultivated for thousands of years, but they are now also cultivated worldwide, used as spices, vegetables, and medicines - and have become are a key element in...
, are small and white with five petals. When it forms, the fruit varies greatly in colour and shape, with red, orange, and yellow being the most common final colours, but ones such as brown also being known. Some varieties such as C. chinense "Trinidad Scorpion" form far larger (up to two metre) high bushes, with very large fruit yields offset only by the very long 80-120 day ripening time for such fruits. Another similarity with other chilli species would be shallow roots, which are very common in chillies.
Distribution
Capsicum chinense is native to Central AmericaCentral America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, The Yucatan
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
region, and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands. In warm climates such as these it behaves as a perennial and can last for several years, but like others, cooler climates normally lead to C. chinense not surviving the winter. However, it will readily germinate from last year's seed the next growing season, and the cycle continues.
Cultivation and agriculture
Chinense peppers have been cultivated for hundreds of years in their native regions and have only recently been introduced to areas of AsiaAsia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
where they are also farmed. They are popular with many gardeners for their bright colours (ornamental value) and for their fruit in vegetable gardens.
Culinary use
C. chinense and its varieties have been used for centuries in Yucatan and Caribbean-style cooking to add a significant amount of heat to their traditional food. The chillies are mainly used in stews and sauces, as well as marinadeMarination
Marination is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origins of the word allude to the use of brine in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor by immersion in liquid...
for joints of meat, usually chicken. The peppers for these dishes are almost always grown/sourced locally, as there are many people in the native regions that grow chillies.
Western food at times also calls for some of these chillies. For example, Habaneros (a group of C. chinense varieties) are commonly used in hot sauces and extra-spicy salsas, due to the popularity of Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
food in Western culture. The peppers are also commonly used to add moderate heat to very large quantities of soup and stew in restaurants, in an effort to cut costs (1 hot chilli counts for several mild ones).
Common C. chinense varieties
Just like C. annuum, C. chinense has many different varietiesVariety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
. These include:
- 7-Pot (TrinidadTrinidadTrinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
) - Adjuma (SurinameSurinameSuriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
) - Arriba Saia (BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
) - DatilDatil pepperThe Datil is an exceptionally hot pepper, a variety of the species Capsicum chinense .Datils are similar in strength to habaneros but have a sweeter, fruitier flavor. Their level of spiciness may be anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 scoville units...
(FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
) - FataliiFataliiThe Fatalii is a chili pepper of Capsicum chinense that originates in central and southern Africa. It is described to have a fruity, citrus flavor with a searing heat that is comparable to the standard habanero...
(South central Africa) - Habanero chileHabanero chileThe habanero chili is one of the more intensely piquant species of chili peppers of the Capsicum genus. When used in English, it is sometimes spelled habañero—the diacritical mark being added as a hyperforeignism. Unripe habaneros are green, and they color as they mature. Common colors are orange...
(CaribbeanCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Central AmericaCentral AmericaCentral America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
)- Habanero cultivar Red Savina pepperRed Savina pepperThe Red Savina pepper is a cultivar of the habanero chili , which has been selectively bred to produce hotter, heavier, and larger fruit....
- Habanero cultivar Red Savina pepper
- Hainan Yellow Lantern ChiliHainan Yellow Lantern ChiliThe Hainan Yellow Lantern Chili , also known as the Yellow Emperor Chili is a member of the Capsicum chinense species of chili peppers that grows only in the southwest and southeast of Hainan Island off the coast of Southern China....
(Hainan IslandHainanHainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
, South ChinaNorthern and southern ChinaNorthern China and southern China are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions has never been precisely defined...
) - Madame JeanetteMadame JeanetteMadame Jeanette is a chili pepper originally from Suriname.The fruits are shaped like small bell peppers but with Habanero-like heat. The peppers ripen to reddish-yellow but they are larger and not symmetrical. When raw, the taste is of a hot burning, with a very tasty flavor...
(SurinameSurinameSuriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
) - Naga Jolokia pepperNaga Jolokia pepperThe Bhut Jolokia , as it is commonly known—also known variously by other names in its native region, sometimes Naga Jolokia—is a chili pepper previously recognized by Guinness World Records as the hottest pepper in the world...
(AssamAssamAssam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
)- Naga Jolokia cultivar Dorset Naga pepper
- Scotch bonnet (JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
) - Trinidad Scorpion (TrinidadTrinidadTrinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
) - Umbigo de Tainha (BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
) - Wiri Wiri (SurinameSurinameSuriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
)