Cabai Burung Ungu

Description

Cabai Burung Ungu is a Southeast Asian heirloom usually attributed to Malaysia, and the name says exactly what it is: cabai chili, burung bird, ungu purple. It is sold as C. frutescens, but experienced growers who have examined it suspect an interspecific background — the skin is crisp like an annuum rather than deciduous in the frutescens way, and the taste is sweeter than the species usually gives. Worth knowing rather than worrying about.

The pods are small bird’s-eye types, 2–3 cm, shiny, held upright at a sharp angle to the stem. The colour show is the reason to grow it: the fruit passes through purple, cream, orange and crimson before settling deep red, with all stages on the bush at once. Growers report the sequence slightly differently, and the stem and leaf colouring shifts with light exposure, so expect your own plant to have opinions.

The heat is serious — estimates run from 50,000 to 100,000 SHU — but the flavour is sweeter and rounder than a tabasco type, and the pods are juicy enough for fresh sauces and ferments as well as flakes and powder.

The plant carries dense, luxuriant foliage and purple flowers, and it is slow through every stage, so start it early. It stays compact enough for a large pot and for bonchi work, but it wants real warmth, strong light and a long season — overwinter it indoors and the second year is far better than the first.

Some chilies are worth tasting before you grow them. → Explore the Vault

Each pack contains approximately 8–10 or more seeds per variety.
Seeds are packaged in a certified EU seed packaging facility in accordance with applicable regulations.

Categories: Chili Seeds , C. frutescens , Hot , Bonsai , Ornamental