Bird’s Eye Chili Pepper: A Familiar Spicy Flavor from Vietnam

Bird’s Eye chili, (or Perilous chili pepper) is a type of small chili that is popular in Vietnam. It is usually green when young and turns bright red when ripe. This kind of chili peppers have a characteristic strongly spicy taste and Vietnamese widely use it in cuisine to enhance the flavor of dishes. Let’s explore more about Bird’s Eye Chili Pepper in Vietnam in the following post of HAVIGO!

1. What is Bird’s Eye Chili Pepper

Bird’s eye chili peppers (ớt mắt chim) or Perilous chili peppers (ớt hiểm) often grow in regions of Southeast Asia. People also grow this type of chili pepper in India, especially in Kerala. To grow bird’s eye chili peppers, they need loose, well-drained soil and sunshine. After harvesting, besides fresh chili peppers, people can dry them, to make a spice.

This is a perennial plant with a small trunk. It has small, conical-shaped fruits, often growing in clusters of 2 or 3 fruits at a node. The chili peppers are usually red, some are yellow or green. Although it is small, chili peppers are very spicy, far more so than many other chili peppers. Its spiciness is 100,000 – 225,000 Scoville units. Therefore, people often use bird’s eye chili peppers as familiar spices in many dishes to enhance their flavor.

In Vietnam, there are many different types of chili peppers, each with its characteristics in shape, size and spiciness. Some popular types of chili peppers include:

• Green chili peppers: People harvest them when it is still young. This type of chili has a moderate spicy taste and people can use it in daily dishes.
• Red chili peppers: Red chili peppers are often spicier than green chili peppers, and have eye-catching colors. Besides enhancing the flavor, they can decorate the dishes.

To choose the best bird’s eye chilies, you should choose fresh chilies with shiny skin, not crushed. To preserve chili peppers, it is better to store them in the refrigerator or dried for later use.

2. Nutritional Value of Bird’s Eye Chilies

Bird’s eye chili peppers are not only a spice, but also a source of many vitamins and minerals that are good for health. Chili peppers contain:

• Vitamin C: Helps strengthen the immune system, and fight free radicals.
• Minerals: Potassium, manganese, copper…
• Capsaicin: A spicy substance, has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects.

Its compound Capsaicin has medicinal properties and is widely used in medicine. It has the effect of dispelling colds, strengthening the spleen, digesting food, and relieving pain. In addition, according to traditional experience, chili peppers are used to reduce arthritis and rheumatism. It is also a medicine to treat flatulence and toothache.

3. Uses of Bird’s Eye Chili Peppers

There are many uses of bird’s eye chilies in life, including in culinary, medicine, or food preservation.

Spice: Chili peppers are one of the indispensable spices in Vietnamese cuisine. People use bird’s eye chili peppers to create a spicy flavor for popular dishes such as pho, vermicelli, hot pot, stir-fry, mixed…

• Pho: Vietnamese slice hot peppers thinly ​​to add a spicy flavor to the pho bowl.
• Bun bo (beef vermicelli): People chop hot peppers finely and mixed with fish sauce to create a delicious dipping sauce.
• Hot pot: Hot peppers are added to the hot pot to add a spicy flavor and stimulate the taste buds.
• Sauce: Hot peppers are chopped finely and mixed with garlic, chili, and sugar to create a rich fish sauce.

Medicine: Chili peppers have many health benefits such as pain relief, anti-inflammatory, good digestion, weight loss…

Food preservation: Chili peppers have antibacterial properties, helping to preserve food longer.

About us

Havigo Company Limited operates in the field of agricultural export. We wish to bring high-quality Vietnamese agricultural products such as spices, rice, beans, and fruits… to the world. We supply you with high-quality products at the best price. If you find interested in importing Vietnamese Bird’s Eye Chili Peppers (Perilous chili pepper), don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for better support via WhatsApp: +84 979 58 58 56.