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| Bird's eye chili | |
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| Bird's Eye Chili | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Genus: | Capsicum |
| Species: | C. frutescens |
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| Heat: Very Hot (SR: 50,000-100,000) |
Bird's eye chili (Thai: พริกขี้หนู, RTGS: phrik khi nu, literal: mouse dropping chili, Tagalog: siling labuyo) is a chili pepper of the genus Capsicum frutescens L. in the family Solanaceae, commonly found in Thailand, as well as in neighbouring countries, such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore. It can also be found in India, mainly Kerala, where it is used in traditional dishes of the Kerala cuisine (pronounced in Malayalam as kanthari mulagu).
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Cultivars
Description
The bird's eye chili plant is a perennial with small, tapering fruits, often 2-3, at a node. The fruits of most varieties are red, some are yellow, purple or black. The fruits are very pungent. The flowers are greenish white or yellowish white.[1]
Taxonomically, it has long been thought that the bird's eye chili belongs to capsicum frutescens Linn.[2][3]<[3] but there are now some who list the bird's eye chili as belonging to capsicum chinense.[4]
The bird's eye chili is small but packs quite a lot of heat. At one time it was even listed as the hottest chili in the Guinness Book of World Records but other hotter varieties of chili have since been identified. It measures around 50,000-100,000 Scoville units which is at the lower end of the range for the hotter habanero chili.
Common names
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The chilies may also be referred to as cili padi (cili pronounced "chili") in Malay because their small size reminds people of the small grained rice eaten as a staple in the region.
As well as the Malay word, Thai chilies can also be referred to as cabe rawit (Indonesian), phrik khi nu (พริกขี้หนู, Thai), Thai hot, Thai dragon (due to its resemblance to claws), siling labuyo (Filipino), ladâ, and boonie pepper (the Anglicized name).
Uses
Cooking
"Pepper" in Thai cuisine (พริกไทย, phrik thai) more commonly refers to peppercorn, an indigenous Thai spice. Nevertheless, the chili pepper is an established element of Asian cuisine, with the "Thai" variety particularly popular in Southeast Asia. The fruit of siling labuyo is popularly used as a spicy and chili condiment while its leaves are usually consumed as vegetables.[5] It's what gives local dishes such as bicol express their fiery zing.[citation needed] It is also used to flavor vinegar.
Ornamentals
The more decorative, but slightly less pungent variety, sometimes known as Thai Ornamental, has peppers that point upward on the plant, and go from green to yellow, orange, and then red. It is the basis for the hybrid Numex twilight, essentially the same but less pungent and starting with purple fruit, creating a rainbow effect, and among the group of capsicum annuum. These peppers can grow wild in places like Saipan and Guam. The Chinese in SE Asia call this pepper 'the chili that points to the sky'.
Medicine
In medicinal terms, the labuyo fruit was earlier utilized as an herbal plant to ease arthritis and rheumatism. Likewise, the siling labuyo is an effective cure for dyspepsia, flatulence, and toothache.[5]
It can also be used as a natural insect repellent or pesticide when mixed with water.[6][7]
References
- ^ Hot Pepper
- ^ Capsicum Frutescens Linn. Sileng-Labuyo
- ^ a b Chile Varieties Database
- ^ DeWitt, Dave and Bosland, Paul W.: Peppers of the World: An Identification Guide, page 63. Ten Speed Press. 1996. ISBN 0898158400. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ^ a b Nagpala, Ellaine Grace. (2007). A fresh look at siling labuyo. BAR Chronicle 8(10). Retrieved 2009-10-22.
- ^ Aguilar, Ephraim. (2007-5-31). School teaches love for environment. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
- ^ Organic Farming
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