Caribbean Red Habanero

Species: Capsicum chinense | Origin: Mexico | Pungency: Extremely Hot

Caribbean Red Habanero, sometimes wrongly labelled as 'Red Habanero', is a very popular and widely grown variety originating from the Yucatán Peninsula region of Mexico. The plants have a fairly compact growth habit and produce excellent yields of blocky-shaped chillies which start light green and ripen through several shades of orange and then to bright red. About two weeks before the ripening process begins they turn a darker shade of green, and the fruits are typically smooth and slightly spherical, although variations do occur. Caribbean Red Habanero chillies have a tropical fruity aroma and a citrus-like flavour and work very well in salsas, sauces, stews, stir fries and Caribbean and Yucatecan cuisines.

Most of the Caribbean Reds available today start green and ripen through orange and then to red. However, an older variant I grew from 2009 until 2012 ripened from green to bright red without passing through an orange stage. Those chillies were hotter and tastier than the Caribbean Reds that are commonly available today. A photo of said variant is shown second from the bottom.

Caribbean Red and Red Savina are two names often used interchangeably to refer to this variety. However, true Red Savina was originally an F1 hybrid developed by Frank Garcia of GNS Spices in Walnut, California. Until 2011, it was protected by the US Plant Variety Protection Act (PVP #9200255), and from 1994 until 2006 it held the Guinness World Record title for the world's hottest chilli with a supposed Scoville scale rating of 577,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU).

Page published on: 4th May 2020