Perfect for Hot Sauce: Habanero

This is the chilli you’ll want to add to your meals to make for an extremely spicy salsa. Forget the mild Jalapeño, and don’t bother with anything spicier, for the average citizen the Habanero is the perfect addition for a strong salsa to really add a hard kick to the dish. In fact most modern day hot sauces will feature the habanero to really add that special tang to the salsa. For your regular person it will burn but it is the perfect stepping stone into the world of the unbearable hot.

How hot are we talking?

Your average Habanero rates 100,000 - 350,000 on the Scoville scale. The hottest Habanero variant is the Red Savina Habanero, sitting at 577,000 units. This is just a quarter of the strength of the current world record holder today - the Carolina Reaper. However, from 1994 the Savina held its fame for a good thirteen years as the Guinness World Record for the Hottest Pepper. In 2007 this title was claimed by the Ghost Pepper and today Habanero chillies barely make the top ten.

So where does it come from?

The name Habanero comes from La Habana in Cuba, where it was traded in bulk. But if you’re really tracing it’s sources, coming from the chinense chilli species, it was first found 8,500 years ago in a cave in Perú. Then once the Americas was discovered by the Europeans, the chilli spread throughout the world. Most commercial habaneros are grown today in Mexico, in its Yucatan Peninsula. But there are several types of Habanero peppers being created by farmers and chilli lovers around the world ranging from almost no heat to a good kick to the backside.

Which Habanero is the best?

For those chilli conquering daredevils, we will say the Red Savina Habanero. Remember this was once the hottest chilli on record up until 2007. Today though, it plays a central role in the creation of the famous fiery Carolina Reaper.

The ones you’ll typically find at your supermarket are the Red Habanero and Orange Habanero, the fully mature version of the Green Habanero. These are the chillies you’re throwing into the meal to add heat.

Now you can’t forgot the mild Habaneros. While you want a chilli to add fire to the meal, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to taste it’s true citrusy flavour. The Sweet Chilli, referred to as the Aji Dulce in spanish, busts the heat and adds the savour. The Venezuelan Sweet Chilli Pepper is another option for your thirsty palette.

We can’t quite tell you the best as that’s up to your adventurous taste buds, but a good favourite is the Big Sun Habanero. A nice fruity tang to the regular burn of the Habanero.  However, if the natural smokey essence lights your fire, then The Yucatan White Habanero will give you the singe you’re after.

But if you’re really up to experimenting you can check out this list of Habaneros and give our products a shot.

Health Benefit

Capsaicinoids are powerful, and not only through their burn, but through their health benefits. If you’re looking to fight obesity, slow down prostate cancer or lower cholesterol a bite of these mighty heroes might just do the trick. Of course you can find capsaicinoids in all chilli peppers, but the best way to get a taste of these capsaicinoids is through their range of spicy sauces to accompany your meal.

Up for a bit of a challenge?

Of course, you can go right ahead and eat the Red Savina Habanero whole, but how about something a little different. Back on the 11th of June in 2016, Carly Waddell and Evan Bass had the longest Habanero Pepper Kiss at 1 minute and 43 seconds. The couple ate Habanero Peppers in Mexico as part of the TV Show Bachelor in Paradise and then had to kiss. Might be an idea to spice up your relationship.

Check out the ChilliBOM Range

We have a great range of Habanero hot sauces for you to discover in the ChilliBOM Hot Sauce Store...get discovering

To find out more about other chilli favourites