Spicing Your Kitchen

By Léo Azambuja

The nīoi, or Hawaiian chili pepper, rank high in the Scoville heat scale, with 200,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units). Photo by Léo Azambuja

Would you like to spice things a little bit in your kitchen? I find the most rewarding way is to plant nīoi, or Hawaiian chili pepper, in your garden. The nīoi are small, bright red chili peppers measuring up to an inch in length. The plant can grow up to four feet in height. They do well in raised beds, but can also be successfully cultivated in tall pots.

These peppers may be small, but they rank quite high in the Scoville heat scale, with 200,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units). By comparison, jalapenos rank between 3,500 and 8,000 SHU, and tabasco peppers rank between 30,000 and 50,000 SHU.

I usually have one or two plants in my garden. Last year, I was away for an entire month, and when I came back home, my last nīoi plant was pretty much dead. I cut all the dry, brown branches, and watered it every day. The plant came back, and a little over a month later, it was full of red chili peppers.

Since they are hot, and there are only so many I can add to my recipes without setting my mouth on fire, I usually harvest them and keep them in a Ziploc bag in my freezer. Whenever I need a pepper or two for my saimin, cioppino, Cajun bowl or anything that calls for heat, I just reach into the freezer.

You can usually find starters at Home Depot or at some local nurseries. Hoku Natural Foods in Kapa‘a also carries a bunch of starters, and they may have it.

Just a quick note; the nīoi is not a native Hawaiian plant. It was introduced here likely by Spanish horticulturist Don Francisco de Paula Marín in the late 18^th century. The popular Hawaiian chili pepper water, which has nīoi in it, was a Portuguese contribution to the local cuisine.

Now go turn up the heat your kitchen!