Trying to find a Fijian Pepper

[Moshman]

Had a pepper when I was in Fiji that I bought from the markets in the Navua River region of Viti Levu, and it was quite hot. It was a red color, stumpy with a dimpled appearance. Couldn't get any seeds back with me but wish I had. Does anyone know what I am talking about at all, if so, where can I get some of these seeds from?
If this is a Fijian breed of pepper, it should be shared with the outside world.
Found them mentioned on a website once, I will try to find and post the page.

Cheers,
Josh

EDIT: was possibly these. There was a direct reference to them on a webpage but am unable to locate it again http://www.flickr.com/photos/28495615@N02/4597139301/in/photostream/

 

[gasificada]

Would these be the ones?

Fiji Embers I think they are called. I have a bag of them in the freezer and I was going to try and grow them myself but don't know much about the viability of frozen seeds. From what I have read though, the chances of germinating seeds from frozen pods is pretty much zero.

EDIT:

http://www.thechileman.org/results.php?find=fiji+ember&heat=Any&origin=Any&genus=Any&chile=1&submit=Search

BTW, if you wanted to give it a go, PM me and I'll let some of the seeds dry and send them your way. I guess it may be worth a shot....

 

[franzb69]

what about this? found this on reimers, not a good source for authentic seeds.

reimers

doesn't look anything like a chinense as reimers claims. lol.

here's another variety i found on fiery foods:

fiery foods

 

[Moshman]

That chillieman site has a few Fijian peppers on it, this one could also be the one I was thinking of :

[font="Arial][size="2"]
"
FIJI HOT (PI 439431)
[font="Verdana][size="2"]Species: Chinense Origin: Fiji Heat: Hot
Add to my growing list[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana][size="2"]Description currently unavailable.[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana][size="2"]"[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana][size="2"]It really doesn't give a lot of information there haha.[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana][size="2"]Franzb69:[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana][size="2"]I have eaten that top one that you posted off a bush on the Coral Coast when I was on a guided tour, the Indian fella that was taking the group expected me to start crying or something but it wasn't that hot, probably less than a birdseye. [/size][/font]Yeah, don't think it was a chinense .

[font="Verdana][size="2"]Gasificada:[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana][size="2"]Those ones look like what I had posted, though they are only a medium heat according to that site which could rule them out as being the ones I am looking for. [/size][/font]

[font="Verdana][size="2"]As for the frozen pods, I also have heard that frozen seeds are hard to grow, but I guess I could give it a shot and see If it's a very low chance, then that means there is still a chance one could take. I remember with my frozen orange habs though that the seeds ended up being black, but this is probably cause they partially defrosted when I moved house then I refroze them again.[/size][/font]

[/size][/font]

 

[franzb69]

i see. interesting.

 

[Moshman]

i see. interesting.

Of course, I can't tell from just looking at a pic if that is the same one I mentioned.

Do you have any unique varieties in the Phillipines franz?

 

[franzb69]

We got siling labuyo, siling sigang or siling pari, and a local variety of sweet or frying pepper.

Sadly true varieties are disappearing and currently on the hunt for them. Already got a possible true labuyo candidate.

Labuyo btw means wild in the northern dialect and was also previously the world's hottest pepper by guinness. It is a very small variety of bird's eye peppers.
Siling sigang is a long thin walled sweet and mildly hot pepper. Used in soups and stir fries.

 

[gasificada]

[font="Verdana][size="2"]Gasificada:[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana][size="2"]Those ones look like what I had posted, though they are only a medium heat according to that site which could rule them out as being the ones I am looking for. [/size][/font]

[font="Verdana][size="2"]As for the frozen pods, I also have heard that frozen seeds are hard to grow, but I guess I could give it a shot and see If it's a very low chance, then that means there is still a chance one could take. I remember with my frozen orange habs though that the seeds ended up being black, but this is probably cause they partially defrosted when I moved house then I refroze them again.[/size][/font]

No worries, I've deseeded a few of the pods and will let the seeds dry. Half of them have black dots in the center though so I'm assuming already that that's not a good sign. I'll give you a yell once they've dried and I've sorted out all the 'dead' looking ones to see if you are still keen.

I had a look on the label and they're from an export company in Suva so it's possible they're from the same area that you mentioned. Heat-wise? I'd easily class them as being hotter than a medium (say, 'hot') but they're not scorching or anything.

I might even give them a burl myself and see if anything pops up. Last season I had a bit of a surprise... I took some seeds from some dried pods that were imported from India and whacked them in the ground (not expecting them to be viable). Out the 30+ I had sown, I had maybe a few pop up but die pretty soon afterward. ONE did survive though and actually grew quite strong! Then the bloody possums got it....

 

[Moshman]

No worries, I've deseeded a few of the pods and will let the seeds dry.

Thanks for that, sounds good. I just bought a whole tray of red habaneros from the local IGA for $1, they have a nice kick to them. If you're interested, I can send you some of these seeds in trade.

I made a sauce with them which I keep in a Makers Mark bottle, looks soooo classy.

20 red habs
2.5 tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
lime juice
garlic chives
chives
basil
lemongrass
salt
vinegar
sugar

Cook then blend. Pour into bottle. Makes 500ml, and also made my friend think he was having a medical emergency

.

Half of them have black dots in the center though so I'm assuming already that that's not a good sign. I'll give you a yell once they've dried and I've sorted out all the 'dead' looking ones to see if you are still keen.

The black dots sound like a plant version of frostbite.

I had a look on the label and they're from an export company in Suva so it's possible they're from the same area that you mentioned. Heat-wise? I'd easily class them as being hotter than a medium (say, 'hot') but they're not scorching or anything.

I might even give them a burl myself and see if anything pops up. Last season I had a bit of a surprise... I took some seeds from some dried pods that were imported from India and whacked them in the ground (not expecting them to be viable). Out the 30+ I had sown, I had maybe a few pop up but die pretty soon afterward. ONE did survive though and actually grew quite strong! Then the bloody possums got it....

Those dam possums

I pulled a little green catterpillar off my wintered scorpion this morning. He was real happy putting holes in the leaves.

 

[gasificada]

Thanks for that, sounds good. I just bought a whole tray of red habaneros from the local IGA for $1, they have a nice kick to them. If you're interested, I can send you some of these seeds in trade.

No more seeds! Once everything gets rolling with what I already have, I'm pretty sure I will have maxed out my growing space!

No need for a trade, especially considering there is only a very small chance my seeds will be viable anyway.

I made a sauce with them which I keep in a Makers Mark bottle, looks soooo classy.

20 red habs
2.5 tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
lime juice
garlic chives
chives
basil
lemongrass
salt
vinegar
sugar

Cook then blend. Pour into bottle. Makes 500ml, and also made my friend think he was having a medical emergency

.

Sounds nice!

The black dots sound like a plant version of frostbite.

Yeah, I was thinking something like that myself.... :\

I pulled a little green catterpillar off my wintered scorpion this morning. He was real happy putting holes in the leaves.

Squish it! SQUISH IT!!

 

[MiLK_MaN]

I was given some seeds from a Fijian-Indian that wanted me to grow them, but I think he dried them too hot because I can't seem to germinate any of them.

The seeds were still encased in the pods, they look about the same size as a red thai, maybe a bit fatter? Not sure if those are the ones you were referring to, but when it gets warmer here in Melbourne, the dude should come back to get some peppers off me and I'll ask to get some more pods but air dried instead of roasted.

 

[Datil Patch]

We got siling labuyo, siling sigang or siling pari, and a local variety of sweet or frying pepper.

Sadly true varieties are disappearing and currently on the hunt for them. Already got a possible true labuyo candidate.

Labuyo btw means wild in the northern dialect and was also previously the world's hottest pepper by guinness. It is a very small variety of bird's eye peppers.
Siling sigang is a long thin walled sweet and mildly hot pepper. Used in soups and stir fries.

Franz,

Sounds like you need to start the Fillipean(sp?) Heirloom Pepper Seed Co., or some such. Provide isolated native pepper seeds to farmers, save the seeds for posterity, and make a few bucks in the process.

 

[franzb69]

My fellow filipino Thp members are already on the hunt for the native seeds. Peppers and the like. True seeds are a must for me. Keeping the true landrace varieties around is something my fellow countrymen seem to have forgotten.