Love your dishes with a bit of a kick? Nothing adds flavour to a delicious meal quite like a dash (or a whole stack) of chilli, especially in the cooler months. Pop it in a pasta sauce, sprinkle it over your fave seafood dish, make a good old fashioned curry, or go crazy with a stir fry – the possibilities really are endless. How do you know which type of chilli goes best with which dish? Our expert team of fruit & veg traders have provided a simple go-to guide to chillies and how best to use them. Now the only question is: how much can you handle?
Bird’s eye – F&J Fruiterers, Ripe, Garden State Fruit Supply
Bird’s Eye chillies have a mild to hot heat and despite their tiny size (between 2-4 centimeters long), they can pack a real punch in the heat department. They’re widely used in Asian cooking to add extra spice to fresh citrus salads or stir fries, but can be used in just about anything you want to spice things up!
Jalapenos – F&J Fruiterers, Ripe, Garden State Fruit Supply
If you’re after a chilli that’s going to really up the heat stakes, the Jalapeno, is your guy. Medium-sized with a thick flesh and extremely popular, the jalapeno can be eaten when green or red (ripe). The green variety can be added to almost anything you want to add heat to; salsas, stews, sauces, dips and more. The red jalapenos have a sweeter flavour and are often dried and used in soups. Fact: did you know dried, smoked jalapenos are actually chipotle chilles?
Long red and green – F&J Fruiterers, Ripe, Garden State Fruit Supply
The long red and green are probably the most common variety of chillies in Australia. Up to 15 centimeters in length, they ripen from green to red and go up and down in heat levels according to the time of year.
Aji Amarillo – Damian Pike Wild Mushroom Specialist
The very first commercial crop of Aji Amarillo chillies has just been released in Australia and is available from Damian Pike! Native to South America, the Aji Amarillo chilli is bright orange with a thick flesh and a medium to hot heat level. Its fruity, aromatic and spicy flavour is an essential component for making ceviche and many other Latin dishes and sauces.
“Amarillo chillies are one of the hottest super foods in the world right now and it’s so exciting to see them available at Prahran Market,” says Prahran Market Chef, Paul Wilson.
Padron – Damian Pike Wild Mushroom Specialist
The Russian roulette of chillies according to our mushroom extraordinaire Damian Pike. “One in every ten are dynamite” he says. To get the real heat out of the other 9, you need to fry them up in a pan with olive oil and a bit of sea salt. They’re the perfect appetiser all on their own!
Cayenne – Reliable Fruit
Cayenne chillies are bright red and feature a very pungent heat with an acidic, tart flavour to boot. Dried cayenne is often used in sauces and soups but is most commonly found powdered and as a form of seasoning. Sprinkle over pasta or in soups – you can even add some spice to a sweet dish. Chilli chocolate anyone?
Poblano – Reliable Fruit
The poblano is a green heart shaped mild to hot chilli, originating in Mexico. When dried, it’s used in a lot of Mexican cooking and is your go-to guy for anything from chilli con carne to spicy rice dishes, enchiladas and more. They’re also large enough to stuff with your favourite fillings!
Trinidad Scorpion – Reliable Fruit
Dubbed as being the hottest chillies in the world, surpassing the jalapeno and the tobacco by miles, these bad boys can’t be handled without gloves! Consider that a warning. Scorpions are often used as a base for sauces but make sure you only use a little bit… These guys are definitely going to pack a punch, but they’re not for the faint-hearted. Proceed. Carefully.
Devil’s Tongue – Pino’s Fine Produce
You only have to take one look at the name of this chilli to know that it means business. Long, curved to a point and yellow in colour, the devil’s tongue resembles a tongue-like shape – and is super hot to boot! It’s closely related to the Habanero but with a slightly sweeter taste and can be used to flavour curries.
7 Pot Brainstain Yellow – Pino’s Fine Produce
Not the most traditional of names, this yellow chilli resembling what some describe as a brain, is one of the hottest chillies out there! Why is it called 7 pot, you ask? Well, that’s because one pod is said to make 7 pots of hot food! Go easy.
Aji White Fantasy – Pino’s Fine Produce
These medium sized, bell shaped yellow chillies have a nice, soft heat level and a fruity taste, perfect for frying in some oil and eaten as an appetiser! They’re also great for making hearty sauces or mild salsas.
Need more chilli in your life? Check out Paul Wilson’s recipe for Huancaína sauce using Aji Amarillo chillies and our how-to video for deseeding chillies.
