Peri-peri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peri-Peri |
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Pili pili peppers (ripe red and unripe green)
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| Genus | Capsicum |
| Species | Capsicum frutescens |
| Cultivar | Pili pili |
| Heat |  Very hot |
| Scoville scale | 50,000–175,000 SHU |
Peri-peri, also known as piri-piri or pili pili, is a type of chili pepper. It's a special kind of Capsicum frutescens plant. Portuguese explorers first found and grew this pepper in Southern Africa, especially in areas like Mozambique. From there, it traveled to other places ruled by Portugal.
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What's in a Name? The Story of Peri-Peri
The word pilipili means "pepper" in the Swahili language. People in different parts of Africa say it slightly differently. For example, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they say pili pili. In Malawi, they say peri peri.
The spelling peri-peri is often used in English, especially when talking about the spicy chili sauce. But in Portuguese, it's almost always spelled piri-piri. The Oxford Dictionary of English says peri-peri is a foreign word for a very hot sauce. It comes from a word for "pepper" in the Ronga language of southern Mozambique. This is where Portuguese explorers first developed the pepper.
Peri-Peri Plant Characteristics
Peri-peri plants are usually very bushy. They can grow to be about 45 to 120 centimeters (1.5 to 4 feet) tall. Their leaves are typically 4 to 7 centimeters (1.5 to 2.75 inches) long.
The chili fruits are small, usually 2 to 3 centimeters (about 1 inch) long. When they are young, they are green. As they ripen, they turn bright red or purple. Some types of peri-peri peppers are very hot, reaching up to 175,000 Scoville heat units. This scale measures how spicy a pepper is.
How Peri-Peri is Grown
Like all chili peppers, peri-peri originally came from the Americas. However, it has been growing wild in Africa for hundreds of years. Today, farmers grow it for sale in countries like Zambia, Uganda, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda.
It is mainly grown in Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Portugal. Farmers grow peri-peri for making food products and for the medicine industry. Growing peri-peri needs a lot of hard work from people.
About Peri-Peri Sauce
Peri-peri sauce was first made by Portuguese people in Southern Africa. There is some discussion about whether it was first made in Angola or Mozambique. This sauce is made from peri-peri chilies and is used to add flavor to food or as a marinade.
Besides Portugal and Southern Africa, the sauce is very popular in the United Kingdom. This is thanks to the success of the South African restaurant chain, Nando's.
The recipes for peri-peri sauce can be different depending on the region. They also change based on how the sauce will be used, like for cooking or for adding to food at the table. But the main ingredients are always chili and garlic. It also has an oily or sour base. Other common ingredients include salt, whisky, citrus peel, onion, pepper, bay leaves, paprika, pimiento, basil, oregano, and tarragon.
See also
In Spanish: Piri-piri para niños
