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Vegetable Seeds
Thai Hot Pepper Seeds
"Heirloom Asian Stir Fry Pepper"Sun: Full Sun
Days to Maturity: 85 - 100 Days
Scoville Heat Units (SHU): 50,000 - 100,000
Heirloom: Yes
Summary / History
HEIRLOOM - The introduction of the Thai Hot pepper revolutionized the culinary world of Thailand over the course of 400 years. Thai Hot pepper is an heirloom pepper that is native to Central and South America. During the 15th century, Christopher Columbus brought chili peppers when he made his way to Europe. Shortly after, Thai Hot peppers were introduced to Thailand by Spanish and Portuguese merchants as part of the Columbian Exchange. Before this, the only way to add heat to Thai dishes was by using black pepper, long pepper, and fresh green peppercorn. The traders brought the first chili peppers to local markets and the former capital of Ayutthaya. The new chilies were enthusiastically adopted by locals because the hot, humid climate of Thailand proved to be the perfect environment. Today chili peppers account for roughly 12% of Thailand's agricultural land use. The Thai people also used the peppers for medicinal benefits such as consuming it to induce sweating, which naturally helps cool the body down in tropical heat. The capsaicin in the chili peppers were also a crucial way to safely preserve food in the heat (before modern refrigeration).
Plant Characteristics
Thai Hot peppers are the perfect choice for adding intense heat and vibrant flavor to Asian stir-fries, curries, and dipping sauces. Compact and bushy plants (1-2 ft) produce peppers that grow in clusters and point straight upward rather than hanging down. Thanks to their small size, Thai Hot pepper plants do exceptionally well in both garden beds and containers. The heat tolerant and ornamental plants are highly productive, yielding up to 200 peppers per plant in a single season. The slender, conical peppers are typically 1 to 2 inches long that mature to a fiery red. These small but mighty peppers rate between 50,000 and 100,000 on the Scoville (SHU) scale, with the flavor described as earthy and fruity with a sharp, immediate sting. Due to their thin walls, they are easy to dry and crush, but they are widely used fresh. Use them to make homemade Thai sweet chili sauce, add them whole or sliced into Pad Thai.
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Quick Facts
- Botanical Name: Capsicum Annuum
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Light Requirement: Full Sun
- Planting Season: Warm Season
- Plant Type: Hot 50,000-100,000 Scoville
- Features: Heirloom, Container Garden
- Fruit Size: 1-2 Inches Long
- Days to Maturity: 85-100 Days
- Plant Spacing: 18-24 Inches
- Planting Depth: 1/4" or 0.25 Inch
- Sowing Method: Start Indoors, Direct Sow
- Cold Stratification: No
- Hardiness Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
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