Capezzoli di Scimmia

Description

Capezzoli di Scimmia (C. chinense) carries one of the more memorable names in the chili world — Italian for monkey nipples, after the small teat-like point at the tip of each pod. The material is Bolivian: wild stock collected there and brought into cultivation in Italy by the late Dr Mario Dadomo, who selected and named it.

The pods are small and squat, roughly 1.3–1.7 cm and slightly wider than they are long, standing upright in clusters and ripening green to pale yellow and then orange. They are startlingly juicy for their size, with a clean fruity flavour and a strong aromatic chinense character. Estimates of the heat vary a great deal between Italian sources — from medium to well into habanero territory — which is worth knowing before you bite into one.

One practical point: the heat sits in the seeds and placenta, so how you cut the pod decides how hot the dish gets. Split and scraped, it is mostly aroma; whole and crushed, it is a different pepper entirely.

The plant is genuinely compact — 40–50 cm tall and about as wide, branching into a neat shrubby form that suits a windowsill or a small pot as well as a greenhouse bed.

Excellent in sauces, and good fresh, dried or milled.

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. chinense , Hot , Bonsai , Easy to grow