Chilli varieties: The best hot & mild chillies

Jalapeño, Tabasco, Cayenne and Habanero are well-known varieties. The best chilli varieties from mild & fruity to fiery-hot can be found here.

The variety of different types and varieties of chilli is enormous. In our article we will introduce you to the best, tastiest and most spicy Chillies (Capsicum) of the four main types. According to experts, there are 3,000 to 4,000 different types of chilli worldwide. This enormous number is distributed in around 35 different species. Because both peppers and chilli belong to the genus Capsicum, which is divided into over 35 species.

The best-known types of chilli include:

• Capsicum annuum: The most common type of sweet and mild sweet pepper varieties such as block peppers as well as small and fiery hot tepins.
• Capsicum baccatum: A type of chilli that is particularly popular in Central and South America and is known for its particularly fruity aroma. One of the better known varieties of C. baccatum is lemon drop.
• Capsicum chinense: Although this type of chilli does not come from China, as wrongly assumed, the varieties of this type are among the hottest. Well-known varieties are Habanero or Bhut Jolokia.
• Capsicum frutescens: Here, plant scientists are still not sure whether this is a separate type of chili. C. frutescens are always very hot, which most of you should have noticed with the Tabasco variety.
• Other, but rather insignificant, chilli species are Capsicum buforum, C. cardenasii, C. eximium, C. pereirae and C. tovarii.

In our article we present the best, tastiest and hottest chillies of the four main types. Are you missing your favorite variety? Then send us a short description and some pictures by email. The variety of different types and varieties of chilli is enormous. We have compiled the most popular chilli varieties for you in our overview.

Capsicum annuum: The most common species

The species Capsicum annuum is the most common type of chilli. It includes sweet sweet peppers as well as very hot chilli. It is sometimes claimed in the literature that C. annuum would be annual, which is simply wrong. The most popular varieties include:

• Aconcagua: These red, thick-fleshed Cubanelle-type chillies are characterized by their aromatic sweetness. This variety is particularly popular in salads or for direct consumption.
• Anaheim: This thick-fleshed chilli is one of the most popular varieties, and not just in the city that it is named after, Anaheim / California. The hanging fruits can be harvested both green and red and used in a variety of ways: grilling, stuffing, eating fresh and much more.
• De Arbol: Due to its tree-like and woody growth, this chilli is often referred to as "tree pepper". The thin-walled, slightly broken fruits turn from green to red as they ripen and have a slightly smoky aroma after drying.
• Black Namaqualand: The bushy, compact variety bears upright, teardrop-shaped, rather thin-walled fruits that turn from black to red. The dark purple flowers and shoots also make this chili appealingly decorative. In addition to seasoning, it is also an ideal pot plant.
• Bolivian Rainbow: This chilli is a popular houseplant because of its dark purple leaves and white flowers with purple borders. The small, upright fruits turn from purple to orange-red, but unfortunately have a rather weak aroma.
• Bonsai chilli: There is a place for this mini chilli everywhere! The small red fruits are often used as a substitute for Thai chilli.
• Bulgarian carrot: This variety bears a lot of thick-fleshed and carrot-shaped fruits. The chillies are particularly popular in chutneys, sauces and salsas due to their good heat and sweet aroma. At the same time, they turn bright orange.
• Cascabel: The name “rattle” was given to this variety because of its round-oval shape and the rattling sound of the dried fruit. The small red fruits have a sweet aroma with a pleasant sharpness.

• Cayenne: This variety is characterized by its pungent sharpness with a slightly smoky aroma and is best known as cayenne pepper. The thin-walled fruits are elongated, slightly curved and turn from green to red.
• Cayenne Golden: These chillies are wider than the normal cayenne and bright yellow in color. The two varieties are very similar in terms of spiciness and aroma.
• Chilhuacle Negro: This variety bears block-shaped to conical chillies that are brown in color and are very popular in spice pastes or moles because of their smoky aroma. The plant is also resistant to the tobacco mosaic virus.
• Corno di Toro: The shape of the slightly curved pointed peppers is reminiscent of a bull's horn. The thick-fleshed fruits are ideal for salads and salsas or for filling, roasting, pickling and much more.

• Elephant: This variety bears thick-fleshed, pointed-conical fruits that are penetrated with gray cracks. The red chilli got its name from the resemblance to an elephant's trunk.
• Ferenc tender: These thick-fleshed and pointed cap-shaped sweet peppers are very popular in salads and salsas or for stuffing and grilling because of their juicy aroma.

• Fire kisses: This compact ornamental chilli has conical to oval fruits with three different fruit colors.
• Firecracker: This short cultivar is also well suited for growing in pots. The elongated fruits can be colored from yellow-green with purple grain through orange to red.
• Fish pepper: The green and white striped red colored chillies are often used to refine fish dishes. Due to its compact growth, this very decorative variety is also well suited for pot culture.
• Fluorescent: This extremely decorative variety not only bears black-purple chillies, its foliage and flowers are also dark-purple in color. The fruits turn deep red when ripe and have a pungent aroma.
• Fresno: Also with this variety the ornamental value is in the foreground. The white flowers are framed in purple and the stamens and carpels (sometimes even the shoot) are colored purple. The conical green fruits impress with their purple grain and turn red when ripe.
• Hungarian Black: This variety is closely related to the Jalapenos and bears conical, thick-fleshed chilies that change from black to red with sometimes black spots. The aroma is also similar to that of jalapeno. Its purple flowers and the grain of the foliage and shoots have a high ornamental value.
• Jalapeño: One of the best known and most popular chillies! The fleshy, juicy fruits are pointed and turn from green to red with black spots and cracks. Their great aroma makes them popular in salsas or for filling, roasting / grilling or pickling.

Tip: Also in ours Plantura chilli growing kit contains seeds for the jalapeño. In addition to four other varieties, the set includes everything you need to grow your own chillies.

• Kitchen Pepper: The wavy, cap-shaped fruits with partially indented tips are ideal for powder production. Its pronounced but pleasant spiciness is an essential ingredient in any kitchen.
• Lanterna de Foc: The elongated, pointed chillies are very similar in appearance and aroma to Cayenne.
• Purple Cayenne: The unripe, black-purple fruits and the striking flowers are a real eye-catcher! In salsas, the elongated pointed chillies give the necessary spiciness.
• Medusa: The tip of the snack bears a lot of small fruits without any sharpness. The sweet fruits are therefore ideally suited to be consumed fresh. The compact growth habit and the high ornamental value make this variety the ideal houseplant.
• Mulato: This mild pointed pepper has an excellent smoky aroma and is often used for stuffing or in chocolate dishes.
• Mushroom Red / Yellow: The thin-walled chillies are mushroom-like in shape and develop a pronounced spiciness. They are good for making sauces and salsas, or for filling.
• NuMex Big Jim: The variety bears extremely large fruits up to 100g and thus holds the world record.
• Pequin: This variety bears numerous small, conical-shaped fruits. Due to their heat and the sweet paprika aroma, the chillies are popular in sauces, soups, salsas and as a condiment.
• Peter Pepper: The real eye-catcher! The variety is also known as Penis Pepper and the wrinkled shape of the fruit gives an idea of ​​why. The slightly hot chillies are suitable for sauces and seasoning.
• Pimiento de Padron: This variety has elongated, differently shaped fruits and the spiciness also varies greatly among the chillies.
• Purple Marconi: This variety bears juicy, purple chillies in block form. The thick-fleshed fruits are characterized by their sweetness and low heat. They are therefore very popular in salads, salsas or filled.
• Purple tiger: Not only the black-purple chillies, but also the three-colored leaves make this variety a real eye-catcher. A large purple color with white variegation emerges on the dark green background.
• Royal Black: This extraordinary ornamental chili bears elongated oval fruits and both the plant itself and the chilies are beautifully dark purple / black in color. Can also be grown in pots without any problems.
• Santa Fe Grande: The variety bears a lot of thick-fleshed fruits with a slight heat and a good aroma. When ripe, the greenish-yellow chillies turn bright red. They are mainly processed into salsas or filled and served with salads.
• Sarit Gat: This high-yielding variety has a lot of bright yellow chilies with a pleasant heat.

• Serrano: The elongated, bright red and juicy chillies are best suited for consumption fresh because of their sweet aroma.
• Sweet banana: It is named after the elongated, curved banana shape of the fruit. The spicy-free chillies have a wonderfully sweet aroma and are popular in salads, salsas or for pickling.
• Sweet chocolate: This variety bears elongated, sometimes pointed fruits. The thick-fleshed chilies are characterized by their sweetness and chocolate-brown color.
• Tepin: These small, pea-shaped chillies are extremely hot. Almost all of the chilli and paprika varieties common today are said to be Tepin breeds.
• Thai orange: This extremely high-yielding variety is also ideal as a decorative pot plant. The narrow, elongated fruits turn bright yellow when ripe and should not be missing in any yellow Thai curry. Above all, the flowery aroma and the intense, lasting heat of the chilli make it a very popular variety.
• Turuncu spiral: The long, spiral-shaped chillies are striking because of their bright orange color. The sharpness is very pleasant.

Capsicum baccatum: Species with a particularly fruity aroma

Capsicum baccatum is particularly popular in Central and South America. The species stands out for its particularly fruity aroma. Contrary to popular belief, not all of C. baccatum small and berry-shaped. If you want to grow varieties of this kind with us, you should start growing the seeds very early, as C. baccatum takes a long time to mature.

• Aji Pineapple: The name is program! This chilli has an excellent pineapple aroma and is therefore very popular in fruity sauces or salsas. The small, pointed fruits are thin-fleshed and can also be grown in pots without any problems.
• Bishops Crown: The red, thick-fleshed fruits are shaped like a bishop's hat and have an extremely aromatic taste, but with clear differences in sharpness between the fruits.
• Lemon drop: The teardrop-shaped elongated chillies are lemon yellow in color and their aroma also tastes fabulous of lime.
• Rainforest: The rather small, teardrop-shaped fruits are slightly folded at the tip and turn red from light green to ripeness. The tangy citrus aroma harmonizes perfectly with the sharpness and is particularly effective in salsas.

Capsicum chinense: Chillies from fruity to hellishly hot

The variety does not come from China, as the name actually suggests. However, some of the hottest chilli varieties (Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, Bhut Jolokia) belong to this type. C. chinense is known for its fruity aroma. If you want to enjoy this, the chili peppers have to be prepared gently. If the heat of Habanero and Co is too hot for you, you can also use the very mild Ají Dulce variety.

• 7 Pod SR Strain: One of the hottest chillies in the world, but still very aromatic. The pointed fruits have an inverted tip and a rough surface. The chillies, which are green at the beginning, turn bright red as they ripen and are processed into sauces.
• Aji Dulce Amarillo: A juicy chili with an intense Chinense aroma and little heat. The long, folded fruits are orange-yellow in color and are particularly popular for fresh consumption or for salsas and in salads.
• Aji Panca: These chillies are characterized by their smoky aroma and are therefore popular for moles. The fruits are thin-fleshed and also known as "Aji Brown" due to their brown color.
• Bhut Jolokia: This variety currently holds the world record for spiciness! With over 1 million Scoville, the wrinkled, pointed fruits with an irregular surface have the Names Ghost Pepper / Bhut Jolokia = ghost chilli, Bih Jolokia = poison chilli, Raja chilli = king of chillies more than deserved.
• Bolivian Bumpy: This chilli is a cross of "Bolivian Rainbow" x "Yellow Bumpy" and has a wonderfully fruity aroma. The fruits are relatively thin and hang down like a lantern. The sun's rays give the yellow chillies their purple-brownish shades.
• Bahamian: This variety bears elongated, blunt, thick-fleshed fruits. The yellowish-green to orange-red, upright growing chillies are juicy and aromatic hot.
• Dorset Naga: This variety is also one of the hottest chillies in the world. The red fruits are slightly folded, tapering to a point and are mostly used for sauces, salsas or for seasoning.
• Fatalii: The wrinkled and pointed fruits are among the very sharp representatives of this genus. The thick, yellow fruits are often made into hot sauces.
• Goronong: This variety bears irregularly folded fruits that are strongly wavy and resemble a sack. The relatively thin-fleshed orange chillies have a very good aroma and are often used for sauces.
• Habanero Chocolate: The chocolate brown colored chillies are relatively thin and folded. This very hot habanero has a lot of aroma and is popular in sauces, salsas and for seasoning.
• Habanero mustard: The mustard-colored fruits are thick and strongly folded. It is a very juicy and fruity variant of the habanero.
• Habanero orange: This variety is one of the hottest of all chilies and still has an extraordinarily fruity aroma! The fruits are folded like a lampion, bright orange when ripe.

• Habanero Peach: The peach-colored chillies are thin and slightly folded. The spicy fruits are popular in sauces and salsas.
• Habanero Red: This variety is one of the hottest of all chilies and still has a wonderful fruity aroma! The fruits are folded like a lampion, bright red when ripe.
• Habanero Red Savina: This variety has long held the title of the hottest chilli in the world. The lampion-like red fruits are mainly processed into hot sauces.
• Lime: This variety provides an extremely high yield of small, teardrop-shaped chillies with a lemon-yellow glow. The aromatic hot fruits are popular in sauces and salsas.
• Naga Morich: This slightly folded, pointed chili is extremely hot and closely related to the Bhut Jolokia variety. The fruits go well in sauces and salsas.
• NuMex Suave Orange: This Habanero variety is characterized by its great fruity aroma, but without the pungent sharpness. The orange mild fruits are therefore very popular in salads, salsas, with fish or for pickling.
• Peru Scarlet Lantern: As the name suggests, the small chillies are lantern-shaped and brightly colored. At the same time, they are extremely spicy and popular in hot sauces and salsas.
• Peruvian Long Brown: This variety has long, pointed chilies that are slightly folded and slightly curved. The very hot, brown fruits are usually made into sauces.
• Pimenta da Neyde: This variety is one of the rarities of its genus. Because even when ripe, the oblong, oval to lantern-shaped chillies with blunt tips are beautifully purple in color. The spiciness is also not to be despised and gives sauces the right kick.
• Scotch Bonnet Orange: This variety is known for its fruity apricot aroma. It got its name from its wrinkled tartan shape. The spiciness of the juicy chillies should not be underestimated!
• Trinidad Douglah: This variety is noticeable for its furrowed, wrinkled fruits with an irregular surface and brown color. But the heat of the chillies can easily keep up with that of 7 Pod and Bhut Jolokia.
• Sweet Habanero: This variant of the Habanero is characterized by its fruity aroma without any sharpness. The chillies have the typical folded habaner shape and shine appealingly in a rich red.

Capsicum frutescens: Popular chillies in Southeast Asian dishes

Capsicum frutescens varieties mostly find their way into Southeast Asian dishes or in spice mixes. The best known variety of this type is definitely Tabasco.

• Rawit: This high-yielding variety bears small, elongated, pointed fruits. Due to their pleasant heat, the red chillies are particularly popular in Asian cuisine.
• Tabasco: This chilli is grown in Louisiana only for the production of the famous Tabasco sauce. The conical upright fruits are aromatic and fiery hot.

Capsicum pubescens: The “hairy” kind

The Latin name “pubescens” indicates the hairiness of this species. The comparison of plants of this type of chilli with others shows that Capsicum pubescens is clearly different. This is not only shown by the hairy leaves, but also the growth (quickly woody, tree-like) quickly illustrates the differences. Chilli plants of this kind are mostly found along the west coast of Central and South America.

• Rocoto Aji Largo: The variety has lantern-shaped, pointed chilies and the thick, juicy flesh is convincing with its good aroma. At the same time, the plant impresses with its intense fragrance.
• Rocoto Manzano: Apple-shaped “Rocoto” variety with red or orange, rounded fruits.

tip: For particularly aromatic chillies, the use of a primarily organic organic fertilizer is recommended. Our Plantura Organic tomato fertilizer is perfectly tailored to the needs of fiery chillies and releases its nutrients slowly and gently.

Did you find the right variety of chilli? Then take a look at our attachment article. There you will learn how to do it yourself Planting chillies can.