Birdseye Chile Powder
Birdseye Chile Powder
Birdseye Chile Powder, Capsicum frutescens, measures 100,000-225,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). It is commonly referred to as Bird's Eye Chile, Birds Eye Chile, African devil, Mombassa chile, African Chile or Zanzibar chile. This pepper is closely related to the fiery hot tabasco chile.
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History and Cultivation
For hundreds of years, the Birdseye Chile has grown wild throughout Africa, but in more recent times it has also been commercially harvested in Australia, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Our Birdseye Chile Powder comes from India.
The immature Birdseye fruit is green in color and when fully ripened this chile turns a brilliant red. The African Birdseye chile is typically between ½" and 1" in length and tapers to a blunt point. We also carry an African Birdseye Chile.
Due to their potent heat levels, many of these African chiles are harvested and processed for commercial use as a pepper extract. It is also common for Ground Birdseye Chiles to be sold as a super hot cayenne chile powder.
Flavor Profile and Heat
Birdseye Chiles lack the flavor complexities of some of the more popular chiles but are known for their clean flavor with undertones of dry hay and they have a nice kick. So they are generally used more for providing heat to a dish and not flavor.
The African Birdseye Chile, specifically the variety harvest in Uganda, is believed by many to be the hottest chile that is not a member of the legendary C. Chinense species and tips the Scoville Heat (SHU) scale at 100,000-225,000.
Where to Use
Commonly used in soups, stews, chicken dishes, hot sauces and they are a key ingredient in our top selling African blend Harissa.
Helpful Hints
Use great caution when handling this ground chile because of its heat. Do not rub your eyes or nose and be sure to wash your hands when you're done.
Our African Birdseye Chile Powder is considered one of our hotter chile powders. Our other favorite crazy hot chile powder is the Habanero Chile Powder(125,000-300,000 SHU).
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Nutrition Facts
Serving Size1 tsp
Amount Per Serving
Calories9
% Daily Value*
Total Fat0g0%
Saturated Fat0g0%
Trans Fat0g
Polyunsaturated Fat0g
Monounsaturated Fat0g
Cholesterol0mg0%
Sodium2.4mg0%
Total Carbohydrate1.9g1%
Dietary Fiber0.8g3%
Total Sugars1.1g
Added Sugars0g0%
Sugar Alcohol0.0g
Protein0.3g0%
Vitamin D0mcg0%
Calcium1mg0%
Iron0mg1%
Potassium50mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. These values were calculated and therefore are approximate. For more accuracy, testing is advised.