Chiltepin Peppers
Chiltepins can be very spicy, depending on the amount of rainfall that occurs when the plants are producing fruit. Drought years produce the weakest fruits and normal rainfall years produce the hottest fruits. The Chiltepin is the only wild chilli pepper native to the United States and is protected in several national parks, namely the Coronado National Forest, Big Bend National Park and Organpipe Cactus National Monument. It is also the official native pepper of Texas, and it became so when Governor George W. Bush signed House Concurrent Resolution Number 82 on the 18th June 1997. The Chiltepin should not be confused with the Pequin, also known as 'Chile Pequin' or 'Piquin'. Although some Chiltepins can be slightly ovoid in shape, the difference between the two is that Pequins are slightly larger and more elongated with a pointed apex. Originating from the Mexican state of Tabasco, Pequins can be found growing wild from the Andes to the Southwestern United States. They are also grown commercially, and the word 'Pequin' is said to come from the Spanish word 'pequeño', which means small in English.
What Are Chiltepins?
Chiltepin, also known as 'Chiltepe', 'Chile Tepin', 'Tepin Chilli', 'Tepin', 'Indian Pepper' and 'Bird or Bird's Eye Pepper', are wild chilli plants native to southern North America and northern South America. They thrive in the mountainous regions and canyons of Southern Arizona and Northwestern Mexico and can also be found in the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Central America. Often referred to as the 'mother of all chillies', Chiltepin (C. annuum var. glabriusculum) is believed to be the wild ancestor of all modern day domesticated chilli peppers belonging to the Capsicum annuum species. The indigenous peoples of Central America and what is now the Southern United States have long used Chiltepins as a food and medicine, believing them to be a remedy for many ailments, including stomach disorders, headaches and rheumatism. Even today, people still harvest Chiltepins from the wild. It's estimated that around 50 tons of Chiltepins are harvested annually in Mexico. The word 'TepÃn' comes from the Nahuatl language (the language of the Aztecs) and means 'flea' in English (flea chilli).
Chiltepin plants grow like small shrubs and produce masses of small, spherical-shaped, pea-sized chillies which start green and ripen to red, although brown and yellow variants also occur, but are much rarer. The shape of some Chiltepins may also be slightly ovoid, depending on the variety. Chiltepins are hot and can range from 50,000 to about 100,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), making them hotter than Tabasco, Cayenne and Jalapeño. Being somewhat sensitive to the summer heat and winter frost, Chiltepin plants often grow under the cover of trees and large shrubs (nurse plants), such as ironwood, mesquite and hackberry. During the baking hot summer months this shades them from the harsh desert sun and also provides them with a moist growing environment. During the winter months it helps to protect them from frost. In areas without hard winter frosts Chiltepin plants can live for 30–50 years!
Why Are Chiltepins Also Known as Bird Peppers?
Many wild and semi-wild Capsicum varieties are associated with birds and are often referred to as 'Bird Peppers' or 'Bird Eye Peppers'. This association occurs because in some parts of the world it's very common to find chilli plants growing under the nests and roosts of birds. Aside from being used as food by humans, ripe Chiltepins are also a staple food for birds, which are the primary dispersal vectors for chilli seeds in the wild.
Unlike mammals, birds are impervious to the effects of capsaicin, the chemical in chillies which makes them hot, and the small, ripe, brightly coloured fruits are very attractive to them and fit into their beaks very easily. A trait of all wild Capsicum species is that when fully ripe the fruit falls away from the calyx very easily (deciduous), and this makes them a quick and safe meal for birds. Once inside the bird's stomach, the fruit is then digested and the seeds are exposed to enzymes, which aids with the germination process. As the birds perch in the branches of nurse plants, the seeds are deposited in their faeces and fall to the ground below — which just so happens to be the place where Chiltepin plants prefer to grow.