chinense Bahamian Goat: more similar to scotch bonnet or habanero?

[thoroughburro]

Feel free to include Freeport Orange in the discussion, since community consensus holds them to be identical or nearly so.

The pod shape is certainly most similar to scotch bonnet. In fact, Bahamian Goat seems to produce “cup and saucer” pods more reliably than some scotch bonnets! However, the flavor is apparently somewhat different, with many placing it somewhere between “floral” habanero types and “fruity” scotch bonnet types.

Let’s say all you have are Bahamian Goat and you have to make either a Yucatán style orange habanero sauce or a Jamaican style yellow scotch bonnet sauce. Which is it more suited for, in your opinion?

 

[Uncle Eckley]

I find them to be much closer to Scotch bonnets. They're noticeably hotter than most bonnets, but they've definitely got that delicious bonnet funk.

 

[Norman]

So community consensus says that Freeport orange is more a Bahamian goat than a scotch bonnet!

 

[Norman]

That was meant to be a question mark.

 

[thoroughburro]

Yeah, I’ve seen several different people here and elsewhere with observations like this.

 

[MarcV]

It's probably not a coincidence that Freeport is located at the Bahamas?

 

[thoroughburro]

Yeah, my understanding is that Freeport Orange was collected from a market in Freeport, Bahamas. It seems very likely what was collected was from the same genetic population as Bahamian Goat.

 

[thoroughburro]

At this point in the season, I can offer some observations of my own, albeit they’re nothing new.

I agree that Bahamian Goat is closer in flavor to a scotch bonnet than to a habanero. It has that fruity background more than it has habanero earthiness. I’d never substitute them, though, at least not in a sauce: the scotch bonnet tropicality is simply not there! It’s replaced by a (not unpleasant) orange rind aspect, compared to the pineapple-tomatillo sweetness of scotch bonnet, at least as compared in my sauce.

I prefer the scotch bonnet for just spooning down the sauce, but Bahamian Goat makes a better “everything” sauce; the bonnet sauce tastes out of place in a burrito, but the Goat blends in well, for instance. I followed up with a sauce using both, which is a promising direction. I think I do need to grow a real habanero for my Yucatán sauce, though. Bahamian Goat is its own thing.

And one thing it is is (for me this season) twice as productive as Scotch Bonnet TFM, which itself has been above average. And it’s disease free, with a handsome, easy to manage habit. I mean, you almost can’t not grow it.

(I’m growing both this season, and everything I said applies equally to Freeport Orange. I’ll be making a different post on the minor differences I’ve noticed, but overall I agree that the two are practically speaking identical.)

 

[Norman]

I grew Freeport Orange and TFM last year and thought they tasted about the same with Freeport being stronger flavored.
This year I just have Freeport going from last year’s seed and the seem more habanero like - of course that’s compared to nothing since supermarket HAB’s don’t count, and so far I’ve only tasted pods from one indoor plant.
Next year I’ll do some actual Bahamian Goats and an MOA along with another generation of Freeports.

 

[jedisushi06]

The real Goats are closer to a peach color.