View source for Bird's eye chili

{{short description|Variety of chili pepper}}
{{For|other uses, including peppers with similar names|Birdseye (disambiguation){{!}}Birdseye}}
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = Bird's eye chili
| image = Thai peppers.jpg
| image_caption = Several bird's eye chilis on a shrub
| species = ''[[Capsicum annuum]]''<ref name=DeWitt>{{cite book|author1=DeWitt, D. |author2=Bosland, P.W. |year=2009|title=The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener's Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking|publisher=Timber Press|isbn=978-0-88192-920-1}}</ref>
| cultivar = Bird's Eye
| module = {{Infobox pepper
| embed = yes
| heat = Very hot
| scoville = 50,000 - 100,000
}}
}}
'''Bird's eye chili''' or '''Thai chili''' ({{langx|th|{{linktext|พริกขี้หนู}}|lit='mouse-dropping chili'|translit=prik ki nu|}} owing to its shape) is a [[chili pepper]] [[variety (botany)|variety]] from the species ''[[Capsicum annuum]]'' that is native to Mexico. Cultivated across Southeast Asia, it is used extensively in many [[Asian cuisine]]s. It may be mistaken for a similar-looking chili derived from the species ''[[Capsicum frutescens]]'', the cultivar ''[[siling labuyo]]''. ''Capsicum frutescens'' fruits are generally smaller and characteristically point upwards. In the Marianas and Guam these are often called boonie peppers or Doni Sali, which can be term for regional wild (technically [[feral]]) varieties. The variation between different varieties can be significant for regional dishes or visuals, such as the Thai ornamental varieties.
== Description ==
[[File:Phrik khi nu.jpg|thumb|left|Bird's eye chilis of assorted colors]]
The bird's eye chili plant is a [[perennial]] with small, tapering fruits, often two or three, at a node. The fruits are very pungent.
The bird's eye chili is small, but is quite hot. It measures around 50,000 – 100,000 [[Scoville scale|Scoville units]], which is less than a [[habanero]], but many times hotter than the spiciest [[jalapeño|jalapeños]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2011/09/the-worlds-10-hottest-chillies/|title=The world's 10 hottest chillies|work=Australia Geographic|date=2011-09-13}}</ref>
[[File:Phơi ớt hiểm.jpg|thumb|Commercial-scale drying of chilis in Vietnam]]
== Origins ==
All chilis found around the world today have their origins in Mexico, Central America, and South America.<ref>{{cite book|author=Andrews, Jean|year=1995|chapter=Historical Background|pages=1–10|title=Peppers: the Domesticated Capsicums|publisher=University of Texas Press|location=Austin, Texas, USA|chapter-url=http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/andpe2.html}}</ref> They were spread by [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] and [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] colonists, missionaries, and traders, together with many other now common crops, such as [[maize]], tomatoes and pineapples, through the [[Columbian Exchange]]. The chili varieties found in Southeast Asia today were brought there in the 16th or 17th centuries.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Simon |last=Robinson|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1628191_1626317_1632291,00.html|title=Chili Peppers: Global Warming |date=14 June 2007|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref><ref name="Joe2000">{{cite book |author=Joe Cummings |title=Thailand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X9LXYwu7G50C&pg=PA79 |year=2000 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1-86450-026-4 |pages=79–}}</ref>
== Uses ==
=== Cooking ===
[[File:Tahu isi goreng plus cabe rawit.jpg|thumb|''Tahu isi'' (tofu fritter) with green bird's eye chili locally called ''cabai rawit'' is a popular snack in Indonesia]]
[[File:Phrik nam pla.jpg|thumb|Bird's eye chili with [[fish sauce]] and [[Lime (fruit)|lime]] juice is served with a multitude of [[List of Thai dishes|Thai dishes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shesimmers.com/2010/02/nampla-prik-ubiquitous-thai-table-sauce.html|title=Nam Pla Prik น้ำปลาพริก - The Ubiquitous Thai Table Sauce|work=SheSimmers|date=2010-02-16}}</ref>]]
In [[Indonesian cuisine]], these chilis are widely used in a variety of dishes and [[Sambal|sambals]]. The whole green bird's eye chili is also eaten raw as a side dish for ''gorengan'' (deep-fried foods).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jaenudin |first1=Mohammad |title=Makan Gorengan Dan Cabe Dengan Tangan Kanan |url=https://www.atmago.com/berita-warga/makan-gorengan-dan-cabe-dengan-tangan-kanan_2394c51e-0028-4232-a17a-8598d2cdbf1b |access-date=14 May 2023 |language=Indonesian}}</ref>
In [[Vietnamese cuisine]], these chilis are used in soups, salads, and stir-fried dishes. They are also put in a wide variety of sauces, pastes, and marinades, used as a condiment or eaten raw, both fresh and dried.
In [[Thai cuisine]], these chilis are highly valued for their fruity taste and extreme spiciness. They are extensively used in many [[List of Thai dishes|Thai dishes]], such as in [[Thai curry|Thai curries]] and in [[Thai salads]], green as well as the ripe red chilis; or they can just be eaten raw on the side, with for instance, ''[[khao kha mu]]'' (stewed pork trotter served with rice).
=== Thai Ornamentals ===
The more decorative, but slightly less pungent chili, sometimes known as "Thai ornamental", has peppers that point upward on the plant, and range from green to yellow, orange, and then red. It is the basis for the hybrid cultivar "[[Numex twilight]]", essentially the same, but less pungent, and starting with purple fruit, creating a rainbow effect. These peppers can grow wild in places such as [[Saipan]] and [[Guam]].
== See also ==
*[[Piri piri|African bird's eye chili]], also known as Piri piri
*[[Chile de árbol|Bird's beak chile]], also known as Chile de árbol
*[[Siling labuyo]] (popular chili pepper in Philippines)
*[[Siling haba]] (another Chili pepper cultivar)
*[[Capsicum frutescens]]
*[[Korean chili pepper]]
*[[Malagueta pepper]]
*[[List of Capsicum cultivars|List of ''Capsicum'' cultivars]]
== References ==
{{Commons category|Bird's eye chili}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Capsicum Cultivars}}
[[Category:Spices]]
[[Category:Chili peppers]]
[[Category:Capsicum cultivars]]