St. Lucia Bird Pepper

[Island_Dan]

Okay so I just got this bag straight from home in St. Lucia. These are found sometimes in the market but mostly it grows wild on the island and is found as a small shrub all over. The locals don't want to be bothered with dealing with the small size as we have bonda ma jaques, habs and scotch bonnets readily available. It has good heat for its size and I would like to know if anyone can identify it with anything familiar from that part of the world. I know it is also found on the other Islands south in St. Vincent, Grenada and in Trinidad. We just call it bird pepper at home and please look in for sale section next week as I will be sharing out half of this bag to my friends on here in a sasbe free offer as I would like to share this one with you all.

 

[RedtailForester]

I would love to try some pods and seeds. I'll send you a PM shortly.

 

[Tecolote]

They look like the piquins i grow, which i heard are called bird peppers also.

 

[Island_Dan]

The only thing with the piquins is that they grow upward. I can't recall how these grow since I don't remember paying much attention to them back when I lived in St. Lucia. They may not have that trait.

 

[Spicegeist]

Yeah, it looks like piri-piri/malagueta/bird pepper etc., nice to see them growing around the island wild... do you like the taste?

 

[Island_Dan]

I think you are right spice. It does look very similar to the malagueta. It will be interesting to compare the two to see if there has been any genetic changes if they are of the same strain. I do like them a lot especially dried as it enhances the flavour. What amazes me are the size of the seeds in the tiny pods. The seeds are the same size as a regular chinense and is not smaller like the thai pepper seeds are.

 

[Spicegeist]

I imagine they're frutescens... you can buy peppers that look almost like that in a health food store as "African Bird's Eye," never tried germinating, but the seeds are pretty large like some frutescens can be...

 

[Island_Dan]

Okay here is a good question. Are the piquins and the malagueta green as your pods and the ripen to red?

 

[Nigel]

Hey Dan, while you were in St Lucia did you ever see the St Lucia Parrot? It`s also known as Amazona versicolour and is stunningly beautiful and very endangered.

 

[Island_Dan]

I have seen it in the local zoo many times but only ever saw it flying overhead in the rain forest. The species is recovering quite well but they blend into the trees so well that just at times you will see one flying over the canopy.

 

[Jeff H]

Dan, take a look at pepperlover.com and look at their Bradley's Bohemian pepper. My wife's friend brought back some wild peppers that grow wild in the Bahamas that look just like what you have in the OP. Pepperlover is the only place that I have seen selling anything like it.

The peppers I got were pretty hot, not no more than 100k or so. I have a couple of plants growing this year from the seeds I got.

 

[Island_Dan]

That looks like it definitely Jeff. I know it grows wild around the islands.

 

[windchicken]

I'd bet the chiles in the bag grow erect...

 

[Jeff H]

One of my plants should be podding up any time so we shall see.