Orange Habanero

Species: Capsicum chinense | Origin: Mexico | Pungency: Extremely Hot

Orange Habanero comes from the Yucatán Peninsula region of Mexico and is one of the most commonly grown Habanero varieties in the world. The beautiful plants have a compact bushy growth habit and produce excellent yields of blocky-shaped chillies which start green and ripen to bright orange. The Orange Habanero is considered by some chilli aficionados to be the only true authentic Habanero, and in my opinion this variety is often underestimated in terms of heat and can be just as pungent as some of the other big-hitters, such as Fatalii, Chocolate Habanero and Caribbean Red Habanero. Orange Habanero chillies have a slight floral aroma and a tropical fruity flavour and work very well in salsas, sauces, stews, stir fries and Caribbean and Yucatecan cuisines.

Habanero chillies are an integral part of Yucatecan cuisine and are often pit roasted (pibil) and then added whole to soups, stews and sauces for extra flavour. Habanero and Scotch Bonnet chillies are commonly used to make pepper mash and hot sauces in the Caribbean and the Yucatán, and some people also add them to chutneys, jams and marmalades for extra fire and flavour. The Orange Habanero is one of the most popular and widely consumed Habanero varieties in the world, and the plants also have the perfect growth habit for indoor growing. If you're new to growing chillies and are looking for a Habanero variety to grow indoors then you won't go far wrong with this old classic!

Page published on: 25th October 2019