Wholesale African Bird Pepper

01.
African bird pepper: Where In The World

habitat and range for african bird pepper

African Bird Pepper grows in Malawi, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and the tropical forests of South Sudan & the southern half of Ethiopia. It was brought to Goa by the Portuguese and the plant subsequently adapted to the hot climate.

02.
African bird pepper: A Bit of Botany

a bit of botanical information on african bird pepper

description
The plants are perennial and sometimes produce for three years before they are plowed under. Depending on growing conditions, the plants range in height from one and a half to four feet tall, and are usually very bushy. The leaves vary in length from 1 ½ to 3 inches and in width from ½ inch to 1 inch. The fruits generally measure between ½ and 1 inch long and taper to a blunt point. Immature pod color is green, mature color is bright red.

common names
& nomenclature
Pili pili is the Swahili word for 'pepper pepper'. Other English language spellings may include pili pili in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or peri peri in Malawi, deriving from the various pronunciations of the word in parts of Bantu languages-speaking Africa. Piri piri is the spelling of the name as used in the Portuguese language, namely in the Portuguese-speaking Mozambican community.

Also known as:
cayenne, africa pepper, american pepper, bird pepper, capsicum, chili pepper, cockspur pepper, goat's pepper, pod pepper, red pepper, chilies, chili pepper, garden pepper, african red pepper, american red pepper, spanish pepper, zanzibar pepper, capsicum, piri piri, and peri peri

03.
African bird pepper: Cultivation & Harvesting

considerations for growing african bird pepper

climate
African Bird Pepper has grown wild in Africa for centuries but has been under commercial cultivation in for many years in Uganda, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. Other countries where it is cultivated include Papua New Guinea, China, Mexico, Chile, and India.

soil
Generally speaking, the best pepper-growing soil has the following characteristics: a warm, full-sun location; well-drained loam or sandy loam high in organic material but with moderate fertility; a herbicide-free environment; little or no alkali; and a pH registering from 6.0 to 8.0.

growing
Growing African birdseye chiles is very labor-intensive and they require hand-picking. The pods are picked when they are bright red and 2 or less centimeters (¾ inch) long.

harvesting
Harvested during the peak summer months, it is then dried in the shade or used as a fresh fruit. Cayenne has various levels of potency—ranging from the mild Paprika to hotter versions of the fruit. Its primary constituents are: Capsaicin, Carotenoids, Flavonoids, Volatile Oil, and Steroidal saponins in the seeds.

preserving
Dry the peppers by hanging in a cool, dry place, store dried peppers, whole or ground until needed. You can also make a pepper oil using the ground powder and a carrier oil such as sunflower oil.