Scotch bonnet (pepper)

Scotch Bonnet
File:Scotch bonnet pepper.jpg
Species	Capsicum chinense
Cultivar	'Scotch Bonnet'
Heat	Exceptionally hot
Scoville scale	100,000–350,000 SHU

Scotch bonnet, also known as scotty bons, bonney peppers, or Caribbean red peppers is a variety of chili pepper. Found mainly in the Caribbean islands, it is also in Guyana (where it is called the ball-of-fire pepper), the Maldives Islands (where it is called mirus) and West Africa. It is named for its resemblance to a Tam o' Shanter hat. Most Scotch bonnets have a heat rating of 100,000–350,000 Scoville units. For comparison, most jalapeño peppers have a heat rating of 2,500 to 8,000 on the Scoville scale. However there are completely sweet varieties of Scotch bonnet grown on some of the Caribbean islands, called cachucha peppers.

These peppers are used to flavour many different dishes and cuisines worldwide and are often used in hot sauces and condiments. The Scotch bonnet has a sweeter flavour and stouter shape, distinct from its habanero cousin with which it is often confused, and gives jerk dishes (pork/chicken) and other Caribbean dishes their unique flavour. Scotch bonnets are mostly used in West African, Antiguan, Kittitian, Anguilan, Dominican, St. Lucian and St Vincentian, Grenadian, Trinidadian, Jamaican, Barbadian, Guyanese, Surinamese, Haitian and Cayman cuisine and pepper sauces, though they often show up in other Caribbean recipes. It's also used in other countries like Costa Rica for caribbean-styled recipes such as "Rice and Beans", "Rondon", and "Beef Patties".

Fresh, ripe scotch bonnets change from green to colours ranging from yellow to scarlet red.

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  Scotch bonnet peppers in a Caribbean market

• A Scotch Bonnet.jpg

  A single ripe Scotch bonnet pepper

See also

• Bajan pepper sauce
• Caribbean cuisine
• Cuisine of Jamaica
• Cuisine of Trinidad
• Habanero
• Jamaican jerk spice
• List of Capsicum cultivars

External link

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