How Well Do You Know Your Chili Peppers?

IMAGE Toto Labrador

Like your dishes hot and fiery? Know which ones should go in your different dishes!

1 Bird’s eye chili (siling labuyo)

Though brought by the Portuguese and Spanish to Southeast Asia, the roots of the bird’s eye chili can be traced to South America. Known as siling labuyo in Filipino, the small, thin, fiery chili comes in green, orange, and red, and can be eaten raw or used as a condiment to spice up fish sauce, vinegar, and soy sauce.

2 Jalapeño peppers

Jalapeño peppers from Xalapa, Mexico, are mild, medium-sized chilies. They can be consumed as soon as they turn green but are usually left to mature fully into beautiful crimson red peppers. They’re popularly stuffed, or dried and smoked to make chipotle peppers.

3 Finger chilies (siling pangsigang)
Finger chilies are common in local markets. Native to the country and known as siling pangsigang, they are bright green in color and are used in a number of Filipino dishes, from sinigang to gising-gising to Bicol express.

CONTINUE READING BELOW

4 Cayenne chilies

Cayenne chilies are long, bright red, and extremely hot. Available fresh,
dried, and in powder form as cayenne pepper, they are used extensively to flavor dishes. They’re also widely associated with several health benefits, including the ability to address digestive and cardiovascular ailments.

5 Habanero chili

Extremely hot, the habanero chili scores 100,000 to 350,000 on the Scoville scale (the highest heat index on this scale is 2,200,000!). Use it a little at a time when cooking. Fully ripened orange habaneros are best for making your own hot sauce.