The chiles › Scotch bonnet
C. chinense
Scotch bonnet
hotFresh
100,000-350,000 SHU
Origin
The Caribbean; essential in Jamaican cooking.
Uses
It is the engine of jerk chicken and pork and of Caribbean hot pepper sauces. In West Africa it perfumes jollof rice and pepper soups. A classic trick: cook it whole and pull it out before it bursts, to keep the aroma without all the fire.
About this chile
It owes its name to its shape, reminiscent of a Scottish bonnet (the Tam o' Shanter). It is the same species as the habanero and packs a similar heat, but with a sweeter, fruitier edge that defines Caribbean dishes such as jerk chicken. In the Caribbean and West Africa it is as basic as onions are here. A warning: a pinch flavours a whole stew… the whole stew flavours you.