What Are Thai Peppers?

Last Updated on October 5, 2023

Thai pepper is the ingredient you need to get to know if you’re a fan of spice. Have you ever seriously wished you could add Thai chili peppers for extra zing and a spicy kick to your food?

Because deep down, you know the Thai pepper is the missing piece you’re always looking for!

This tiny chili packs a big punch, and it’s used in a variety of Thai dishes. Thai pepper, love it or hate it! I bet you’re going to love this spicy treat once you find out everything about it!

Thai Pepper

Thai Pepper, also known as bird’s eye chili pepper or bird’s eye chili,is a type of chili (Capsicum annuum) of the larger nightshade family, Solanaceae.

It is indigenous to Southeast Asia and Southern China, and commonly cultivated in much of India today.

The unripe fruit has a tart flavor similar to bell peppers but as it ripens its flavor becomes increasingly hot and spicy. It has a rating between 10K – 100K on the Scoville scale making it extremely spicy!

When it comes to Thai peppers, those who enjoy spicy food but are not particularly heat seekers should use caution.

Thai Pepper Types

Thai pepper originated in Thailand but can be found in many other Southeast Asian countries.

There are many varieties of Thai pepper to choose from, making them a versatile ingredient for adding flavor and heat to all kinds of dishes.

There are 79 separate varieties of the Thai pepper that have appeared in Thailand, each with different levels of heat and profile.

The most common types of Thai pepper include:

Prik Ki Nu: These small, thin peppers have a sharp heat that has a significant kick. The color ranges from green to red when fully ripe and is especially popular for use in soups and salads.

Prik Yaang Daeng: It has a moderate heat level that provides good flavor without overwhelming the other ingredients in the dish.

Prik Gang Jeow: These narrow, curved peppers add great flavor along with their mild spiciness. They’re especially popular when used fresh in salads or as an ingredient for stuffed dishes such as curry puffs or spring rolls.

Prik Nung: This variety holds its shape when cooked and has an earthy flavor with a mild spiciness that makes it great for stir-fries or curries. It has almost no heat so it can make curries more palatable for those who don’t enjoy spicy food too much.

Prik Kee Noo Suan: This type is short but particularly hot and adds plenty of spice to most any dish, making it especially popular as part of sauces or marinades used on grilled meats or seafood dishes such as tom yum soup or pad thai noodles.

The Origin

Although Thai peppers are closely associated with Thailand, they are actually native to Central and South America.

Date back to the 16th century, Portuguese explorers introduced these peppers to Thailand. Since then, they’ve become popular in Thai cuisine.

Thai Pepper on the Scoville scale (How Hot Is It?)

Thai peppers are usually small, measuring about two inches long. But don’t let their size fool you. These peppers pack a serious punch. They’re typically quite spicy.

The Scoville Scale is a measurement of the spicy heat contained in a pepper or other food item.

It is named for Wilbur Scoville, who developed the scale in 1912. The scale ranges from 0-16,000,000 units. The higher the number, the more spicy the food.

Thai pepper is one of the hottest peppers on the scale, measuring up to 100,000-225,000 Scoville heat units (SHU). That means it is about 10-20 times hotter than a jalapeño pepper, which measures about 2,500-8,000 SHU.

Capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers hot, is what gives Thai pepper its high ranking on the Scoville scale.

However, the Thai pepper is not the spiciest chili in the world. That title belongs to the Carolina Reaper, which averages around 1.4-2.2 million Scoville heat units (SHU).

For comparison, Thai peppers only clock in at 50,000-100,000 SHU. So while they might pack a decent punch, they’re no match for the real heat champions out there.

Health Benefits

Thai pepper offers numerous health benefits:

It’s high in vitamins A and C, which can help support the immune system and slow down the aging process.

It also contains higher levels of antioxidants than other peppers, which may help reduce the risk of certain diseases.

Studies suggest that capsaicin – an active ingredient in Thai pepper – has anti-inflammatory properties and may be beneficial for people with digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome.

Thai pepper is also rich in manganese, an important mineral known to help metabolize fats and carbohydrates.

It contains vitamin B6, which helps maintain healthy skin and hair, as well as magnesium which helps relax nerves, blood vessels, and muscles.

Plus, this spicy vegetable is low-calorie and fat-free which makes it a great addition to any diet.

Overall, a variety of dishes can benefit from Thai pepper’s flavorful and nutritional value.

(Source: WebMD)

Where To Buy?

When you’re craving Thai food, you might wonder where to buy Thai peppers. Here are a few ideas:

Check your local grocery store. There are many stores now that carry international ingredients, so Thai peppers may be available in the produce section.
Order online. Several online retailers sell Thai peppers if your local store doesn’t carry them.
Grow your own! Try growing Thai peppers in your own garden if you have a green thumb.

How to Grow

If you would like to grow Thai pepper in your garden, it’s important to choose the right variety for your climate.

Generally speaking, most Thai pepper plants thrive when grown in a sunny location with well-drained soil and average to rich fertility levels.

The Thai pepper plant produces small clusters of white or light yellow flowers that form green-colored pods with purple shading. When fully ripe, these pods transform into very hot peppers.

fresh thai hot pepper — You won’t believe how easily they can thrive!

Once planted, you must provide adequate water and sunlight so that your peppers can reach their full potential.

It’s also important to provide some type of support structure to prevent the heavy fruit clusters from breaking off the vine or branches due to their weight once they mature.

To further maximize yield, consider pruning away any lower branches that aren’t producing fruit and any flowers that didn’t develop properly into fruit during pollination or due to lack of sunlight exposure.

You should harvest the fruits when they are at their peak ripeness — usually when they have a bright color like red or yellow but before they become too soft on the vine.

Once harvested, use them as soon as possible as freshness will greatly impact the flavor quality and overall taste profile of each dish you choose to use them in!

Too many Thai peppers? What to do?

If you have too many Thai peppers, don’t worry. There are plenty of things you can do with them.

Make a batch of Thai chili sauce – This spicy condiment is tasty on everything from chicken to rice.
Make Pickled Chillies – is a great way to preserve chilis.
Infuse some oil (Chili Oil) – Thai pepper-infused oil makes a flavorful addition to stir-fries or marinades.
Dry them and grind them into a powder – This is perfect for adding a touch of spice to your favorite dishes.

Recipes with Thai Chili Peppers

The intense heat of Thai pepper makes it a great addition to dishes like stir fry and South Asian curries.

You can also use it with soups, salads, and noodle dishes. The longer the peppers are cooked, the more flavor they will add to your dish.

If you’re looking for a way to make your dishes stand out with unique flavors and spiciness, Thai peppers are the perfect ingredient for you! Here are some top recipes that incorporate this unique spice mix:

Vegan Pad Krapow – A popular dish served with rice and topped with fresh Thai basil and chili peppers.

Really-Vegan-Thai-Basil-Stir-Fry-Pad-Kra-Pao-Pad-Gaprao

Thai Tofu Green Curry – A rich curry made from coconut milk, green curry paste, chicken (or other proteins), vegetables like broccoli or carrots, and Thai chili peppers for an extra kick!

The-best-mild-thai-green-curry-w-vegetables(vegan

Vegan Fried Rice – This classic Asian dish gets extra zing thanks to chili flakes or slices of fresh Thai chilies added just before serving.

Stir-fried Morning Glory (Chinese water spinach)– Another stir-fry favorite featuring an array of colorful vegetables cooked in oyster sauce along with fresh chilies.

quick-stir-fry-water-spinach-with-garlic-chili-

In Indonesian cuisine, there are various dishes and sambals use these chilis.

In Vietnamese cuisine, people use these chilis in soups, salads, and stir-fried dishes. The Vietnamese also put Thai chili peppers in a wide variety of sauces, pastes, and marinades, used as a condiment or eaten raw, both fresh and dried.

Tips for Cooking with Thai Pepper

In order to bring out the best of this spice, there are several tips to keep in mind when cooking with it.

Firstly, It is best to add Thai peppers near the end of cooking —typically in the last 10 minutes or so — as its flavor will become more concentrated if cooked for too long.

Secondly, you’ll want to pair Thai pepper with other flavors that can mellow out its heat.

Try cutting its intensity by adding components like coconut milk/cream and sugars like coconut or palm sugar. Acids, such as lime juice, can reduce the spiciness of Thai chilies effectively.

Thirdly, if you’d like an element of smokiness to your dish, try roasting or charring your peppers ahead of time before adding them to your recipe.

This will help release some of the more subtle flavors from within the chilies and bring out that smokiness necessary for certain dishes.

Cooking with Thai peppers can be intimidating at first glance; however, these helpful tips should make it easier and even more enjoyable! Keep these thoughts in mind for your next culinary masterpiece!

Conclusion

The Thai pepper is a great way to add flavor and spiciness to any dish. They can vary greatly in heat level from mild to extremely hot and can pack quite a punch!

They are especially versatile to almost anything, from salads to soups, noodles, and curries.

As you experiment with Thai peppers, it is important to use caution when handling them, as the heat level can be quite intense.

With that being said, working with these flavorful chilies is well worth the effort and reward!

FAQ

Q: How do you measure spice levels?

When it comes to spice, the Scoville Scale is a measurement of the spicy heat contained in a pepper or other food item.

It is named for Wilbur Scoville, who developed the scale in 1912. The scale ranges from 0-16,000,000 units. The higher the number, the more spicy the food.

Peppers are not the only things that can be measured on the Scoville Scale. Other items such as sauces and spices can also be given a number.

Q: How do you know when Thai peppers are ripe?

Thai peppers turn bright red when they’re mature. The 1- to 2-inch peppers with firm flesh and vivid color break easily from the stem if you tug on them gently.

While they can be pulled from the plant, it’s advisable to use sterilized scissors or a sharp knife to harvest them to avoid damaging the stem.

Q: How long do Thai pepper plants live?

Tabasco Peppers, Malaguetas, Thai Hot, and many other peppers are grown in India. These peppers can live between 3-8 years. These plants typically produce the most peppers in their first year.

Q: What is the weakest pepper in the world?

Due to its lack of capsaicin, bell peppers rank the lowest on the Scoville heat scale among members of the Capsicum genus.

Q: Which is hotter jalapeño or Thai pepper?

Thai pepper is one of the hottest peppers on the scale, measuring up to 100,000-225,000 Scoville heat units (SHU).

That means it is about 10-20 times hotter than a jalapeño pepper, which measures about 2,500-8,000 SHU.

Q: Which pepper has the least sugar?

Some varieties have less sugar than others. For instance, chilaca chilies, Japan’s shishito, and banana peppers are all relatively low in sugar.

Every 100 grams of chilacas has 2.7 grams of glucose while shishitos have 2.5 grams, and banana peppers have 1.9 grams.

Q: What is the most used pepper in the world?

The jalapeño is one of the most known chili peppers, maybe even the most popular pepper in the world! It is perfect for those of us who love to add a little heat to any dish.

Q: Do peppers lower blood sugar?

The active ingredient in chili peppers is capsaicin, which may help to regulate blood glucose levels.

A 2006 study found that blood glucose levels were lower in subjects who had eaten a cayenne-containing meal. Source:

The active ingredient in chili peppers is capsaicin, which may help to regulate blood glucose levels. A 2006 study found that blood glucose levels were lower in subjects who had eaten a cayenne-containing meal. (Source: Spicy Food and Diabetes)