African bird pepper
Name Variations[]
- African devil
- African bird's eye
- African red devil
- goat pepper
- piri piri
- pili pili
- peri peri
About African bird pepper[]
The African bird pepper is a cultivar of Capsicum frutescens, one of the sources of chili pepper, that grows both wild and domesticated. It is a small and extremely spicy member of the capsicum (Capsicum) genus.
The plants are usually very bushy and grow in height to 45-120 centimeters, with leaves of 4–7 cm length and 1.3-1.5 cm width. The fruits are generally tapered to a blunt point and measure up to 2.5 centimeters long. Immature pod color is green, mature color is bright red or purple. Some varieties of birdseye measure up to 175,000 Scoville Heat Units.
Piri piri is the name used in Mozambique to describe the African bird's-eye chili. The variations in spelling derive from the various pronunciations of the word in parts of Africa, although "Piri piri" is the correct spelling in Portuguese.
In Mozambican cuisine, Piri piri is often used in preparing sauces and marinades for roast and grilled dishes, especially chicken and various fish. Piri piri is widely used in a vast number of dishes of Portuguese cuisine.
The name comes from the Tupi language in Brazil, from where Portuguese traders introduced it to Africa along with other species of capsicum, within the wider Columbian exchange.