The chiles › Tabasco
C. frutescens
Tabasco
mediumFresh
30,000-50,000 SHU
Origin
Mexico (the state of Tabasco); famous since 1868 on Avery Island, Louisiana.
Uses
Its star destiny is Tabasco sauce: a mash fermented in oak barrels with salt and vinegar. Also in pickles and table sauces for a few drops on everything.
About this chile
The only member of the species C. frutescens in this guide, and one of the few chillies that grow pointing upward, like little candles on the plant. Small but sparky, it owes its worldwide fame to the McIlhenny family, who have fermented it on Avery Island since 1868 to bottle the most famous hot sauce on the planet. It bites with a tangy edge rather than brute fire.