Botany and Agriculture of Bird's Eye Cayenne Branch
Bird's eye chili, also known as "bird's eye chili" or "cayena en rama ojo de pájaro" or "prik kee noo" in Thai, is a spicy chili species belonging to the Solanaceae family. Its scientific name is Capsicum frutescens and it is native to Central and South America. The bird's eye chili bush grows up to a height of 1-1.5 meters and produces small, thin fruits about 2.5 cm long and 0.8 cm wide. The fruits are light green when young, and mature to become red. The plant needs a warm and humid climate to grow and is very resistant to pests and diseases. It can be grown in pots or in the garden, and its fruits are ideal for drying or using fresh.
Bird's Eye Cayenne Branch: Gastronomy
Bird's eye chili is very popular in Thai and Southeast Asian cuisine, where it is used to flavor and spice up a wide variety of dishes. It is a key ingredient in the preparation of Thai curry, as well as in sauces, marinades, and salads. Overall, the bird's eye chili is very spicy, with a heat level ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville units. This makes it hotter than jalapeño, but less than habanero. It is also known as piri piri, which is a variety of chili native to Africa that has spread to other countries such as Portugal, Brazil, and Mozambique.
Varieties
There are various varieties of Bird's Eye Cayenne Branch, each with its own distinctive characteristics in terms of flavor, spiciness, and appearance. Some of the best-known varieties are described below:
African Piri Piri: This is the original variety of bird's eye chili, characterized by its elongated and thin shape, with a diameter of approximately 1 cm. It is very spicy and is used in the preparation of sauces and marinades.
Portuguese Piri Piri: This variety is slightly thicker than the African variety, and has a sweeter and less spicy flavor. It is mainly used in Portuguese cuisine, in dishes like the famous piri piri chicken.
Brazilian Piri Piri: This variety is larger than the previous ones, and has a slightly sweet and spicy flavor. It is used in the preparation of sauces and condiments, as well as in meat and fish dishes.
Mozambican Piri Piri: This variety is similar to the African piri piri, but has a milder and slightly fruity flavor. It is used in Mozambican cuisine, in dishes like peri peri chicken or the famous seafood dish matapa.
Recipe with Bird's Eye Cayenne Branch
Beef Stir-Fry with Vegetables and Sweet Chili Sauce.
It is a simple, quick, and very tasty dish that you can adapt to your taste with the vegetables you prefer. Let me tell you how I do it: Ingredients for 4 people:
500 g of beef cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
1 red onion cut into julienne
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
1 peeled and thinly sliced carrot
100 g of green beans cut into pieces
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 bird's eye chilies minced (more or less depending on the spiciness you want)
4 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce (you can buy it ready-made or make it yourself with vinegar, sugar, water, cornstarch, and chilies)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked white rice to accompany
Preparation: In a bowl, mix the beef with the soy sauce and cornstarch. Let marinate for about 15 minutes. In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over high heat and stir-fry the beef until golden and cooked. Remove and set aside. In the same skillet, stir-fry the onion, pepper, carrot, and green beans until tender but crispy. Add the garlic and chilies and stir-fry for a couple more minutes. Add the sweet chili sauce and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the reserved beef and mix everything well to coat it with the sauce. Serve the stir-fry accompanied by cooked white rice. I hope you like this bird's eye chili recipe and that you enjoy it a lot. If you want, you can tell me what you think or if you have made any changes. Enjoy your meal!
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