Thai Bird Chiles, Capsicum annuum, are crazy-hot chiles that measure 70,000-130,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). These firebirds are also called bird chiles, Thai chiles, or Thai chili peppers.

There are approximately 55 chiles per ounce.
 

What are Thai Bird Chiles

Thai Bird Chiles typically about 2" to 3" long and .25" in diameter, red in color, thin and pointed, they're closely related to the cayenne chile and they have a thin but tough textured outer skin that packs a fiery heat that lingers with cooking.

In Thai there are five balancing flavors - bitter, salty, sour, sweet, and spicy with heat sitting on top of the four core flavors. The bright red color of this chile pepper plays a leading role. Both fresh and dried red Thai chile peppers are often used whole to add to the visual appearance of a dish.
 

History of Thai Chiles

Ask a typical Thai where chiles come from and many would probably swear that chiles are indigenous to Thailand as chiles are so indispensable to their cooking and deeply entrenched in their culture.

Chiles are believed to have made it to the city of Ayutthaya (pronounced “aa-yoo-tuh-yaa) during the 16th century. At the time Ayutthaya was a large trade center and while it is generally assumed that the Portuguese were responsible for the arrival of chiles it could have also been Indian merchants or Spanish explorers who were also frequent travelers to this region during that period of time. Where there is no debate is that chiles were almost immediately embraced by the Thais and today they're a key ingredient in numerous dishes. Since their introduction, Thai chile peppers have been selectively bred for generations to create numerous cultivars that are called Thai chiles. One of the earliest written records on the use of Thai Chiles was by Sunthorn Phu, the royal poet during the reign of King Rama II (who ruled from 1809 – 1824), who mentioned chile and salt as ingredients for venison.

Until 1939 Thailand was known as Siam and it's the only Southeast Asian country never colonized by the West. This helped Thailand maintain its own unique cuisine. However, that cuisine has been greatly influenced by its Asian neighbors.
 

Thai Chile Pepper Cultivation

Chiles are considered one of the most important vegetable crops in Thailand and of the 79 cultivars of chiles grown in the country there are two cultivars that make up the majority of the commercial production -- bird pepper, called "prik khee nu", and the ubiquitously named "chili", called "prik khee fab". The bird pepper variety is the more popular of the two and in the last reporting year (as reported by the United Nations) there were over 175,000 acres devoted to chiles in Thailand with almost 70% of this acreage is devoted to the bird peppers.

Thai Chiles grow best when the daytime temperatures are between 70 and 85°F during the day and 60 to 70°F at night. The plant reaches a height of 16” and matures in 65-75 days. The chiles grow in clusters and they mature from green to light yellow, to orange and finally to red. Bird Peppers are typically 2" to 3" long, about .25" in diameter and the crop is primarily raised from farmer-saved seed so there is some flavor and heat differences from area to area.
 

Where Are Our Thai Bird Chiles From

Thailand.
 

What Do Thai Bird Chiles Taste Like

A slight fruity taste with a strong spiciness and nutty top notes.
 

How Hot Are Thai Bird Chiles

These chiles are considered a crazy hot chile and come it at 70,000 to 130,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units).
 

What Are Thai Bird Chiles Used For

In the last 10-15 years Americans have become enamored with crazy hot chiles and hot sauces. Now while Thai food is some of the hottest and spiciest around in the world, Thai chefs find the West's fixation on heat for heat's sake to be a bit of an adolescent approach to chiles. In Thailand chiles have been an integral part of the cuisine for centuries and they look at the point of chiles as not just the heat but the way chiles should enhance the flavors of other ingredients.

When it comes to Thai cuisine, attention to detail is of paramount importance with each step being just as important as the one before it and the one that follows. Each component of a Thai meal must satisfactorily appeal to four of your five senses and Thai cuisine is based around five essential flavors: salty, sour, spicy, bitter and sweet. Chiles aren't meant to overwhelm or clobber the taste buds but to act as a counterpoint to the other four essential flavors (the chiles are considered a spicy essential flavor) .

Thai cuisine has a subtle complexity that often revolves around cilantro, coconut, galangal, lemongrass and rice. Rice has been an important component in Thai cuisine for nearly 5000 years and it's served with nearly every meal. The two primary types of rice used in Thai cooking, are a long-grain rice called Jasmine rice and a short-grained rice called sticky rice or sweet rice.

While dried red chiles are a critical component in Thai cuisine, Thai cooks also make extensive use of fresh green and yellow chiles, to form a "holy trinity" of sorts similar to the Cajun “holy trinity” of bell peppers, onions and celery and Mexican Moles' “holy trinity” of ancho, pasilla and mulato chiles.

Each Thai dish will typically feature one of these chiles although they can be substituted for each other in a pinch. Proper presentation is a crucial component of authentic Thai cuisine and the three chile colors are carefully selected to heighten the visual appeal of their dishes in addition to adding sought after spicy flavor. Both dried and fresh chile peppers are used and are often used whole.

In Thai cuisine dried Thai chiles are added to broths, coconut soups, authentic Thai curry, noodle dishes, salads (only use a few), sauces and stir fries. We used Thai chiles in our recipe for Thai Basil Chicken Soup.

For a real treat mix with salt and sugar to create a condiment that complements just about any fresh fruit. Make ahead of time to allow the flavor of the chiles to marry with the salt and sugar and then remove the chiles before adding to the fruit.

Lightly roast Thai chiles with fish sauce, garlic and sugar, then toss with cooked shrimp and top with fresh Thai basil. In a blender mix Thai chiles with shredded coconut, curry leaves, garlic and ginger and use the resulting paste on sweet potatoes. Blend together Thai chiles with fish sauce, lime juice and sugar for a light marinade for chicken or fish.

To rehydrate your Thai Chiles , rinse them off with warm water and then soak in hot water for 10 minutes. Once rehydrated, dice or puree and add to a recipe.

Thai Bird Chiles pair well with bell peppers, eggplant, coconut milk, garlic, lime juice, onions, peanuts, potatoes, shallots, yuzu, herbs such as cilantro, mint, and Thai basil, and meats such as beef, chicken, fish, and pork.
 

What can I substitute for Thai bird chiles?

A good substitute for Thai Bird Chiles is either Malagueta Chiles (120,000 – 160,000 SHU) with similar heat levels not quite as sweet or Red Serrano Chiles (8,000 – 18,000 SHU) which is not as hot and has a smokier flavor.

 

Hungry for More Information

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