Several chili pepper varieties share the African kitchen depending on the region: scotch bonnet in the west, piri-piri in the south and east, baklouti in the north. Their strength is measured on the Scoville scale, developed in 1912 by American pharmacologist Wilbur Scoville to assess the concentration of capsaicin, the molecule responsible for the heat.
Scotch bonnet, or ata rodo, a pillar of West African cuisine
Scotch bonnet, called ata rodo in the Yoruba language, is a chili pepper of the species Capsicum chinense grown in Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon. Its shape resembles a small Scottish bonnet, hence its English name. It sits between 100,000 and 350,000 Scoville units, a strength comparable to the habanero. It is found ground or fresh in jollof rice and suya skewers.
Piri-piri, the African bird's eye chili of Southern and East Africa
Piri-piri, or African bird's eye chili, is a cultivar of the species Capsicum frutescens that grows wild and is also cultivated in Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Its small pods, green then red, 2 to 3 centimeters long, sit between 50,000 and 175,000 Scoville units. It goes into piri-piri sauce, made with vinegar and lemon, used as a marinade for grilled meats.
Baklouti pepper and harissa in the Maghreb
Baklouti is a sweet pepper variety of the species Capsicum annuum, grown in Tunisia since it was introduced by the Andalusians in the sixteenth century. Its elongated pods, 15 to 20 centimeters long, are milder than scotch bonnet or piri-piri: estimates of its strength range from 15,000 to 30,000 Scoville units depending on the source. Dried and then ground with garlic, caraway and coriander, it forms the base of harissa, the Tunisian chili paste.
Fresh and ground chili used every day
Besides these identified varieties, West African cooking commonly uses a purée of fresh chili peppers ground with vinegar and salt, or a hot chili simply dried and then ground into a powder, with no other ingredient. These preparations are added in small amounts to a mafé, a yassa or a marinade, and are always dosed with care.
A spice sometimes mistaken for a chili pepper: Guinea pepper
In French, the expression “piment noir” (literally “black chili”) sometimes refers to Guinea pepper (Xylopia aethiopica), also called Sélim seeds or kili. It is not a chili pepper in the botanical sense: this spice belongs to a different plant family from the Capsicum, and its peppery flavor does not carry the heat of capsaicin. It is traditionally used to flavor the sauces that accompany pounded plantain or cassava pastes, such as foutou or foufou.
Where to buy these chili peppers in France?
NKOSI sells TANTIE extra-hot chili purée, fresh chili from Senegal, SAMIA ground hot chili and PHARE DU CAP BON harissa, and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
Going further
The blog also covers Caribbean chili pepper, another family of very hot varieties grown in Martinique and Guadeloupe.
