Wiri wiri peppers are berry shaped hot peppers from Guyana prized for their tangy flavor and high level of heat
Scoville Heat Units: 100,000 to 350,000 SHU
Capsicum Frutescens
While chilies and peppers have become extremely sensationalized these days thanks to internet challenges, most of these novel discoveries already have deep rooted history in various regions and their everyday cuisines. As more and more people get to know about the utter variety available in the world of peppers, the flavor possibilities become endless.
Each pepper has a unique taste, spice level, as well as texture. Not to mention, many peppers have unique shapes, colors, and physical characteristics that make them stand out from among the rest.
One of the most interesting looking chilies is the Wiri Wiri Pepper from Guyana, South America. It is a staple spice from the South American region and an ingredient so common that most Guyanese kids grow up eating them.
The Wiri Wiri pepper is known for its tomato-like appearance and delicious, tangy flavor. It is an essential ingredient when it comes to Guyanese cooking and makes for some extremely appetizing dishes.
Let’s get familiar with the Wiri Wiri Pepper.
How Hot Are Wiri Wiri Peppers?
The Scoville Scale measures the heat rating for the Wiri Wiri pepper within the 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville Heat Units range. This gives the pepper a median heat rating of around 225,000 SHU. Most peppers do, however, tend to be nearer to the lower end of the range when it comes to spice. So while they will not burn your face off with the heat, they certainly do pack quite a punch.
This puts them on par with a habanero pepper or Scotch bonnet pepper in heat.
What Does A Wiri Wiri Pepper Look Like?
The pepper is only half an inch long and is shaped like a little sphere. The bulb-like body of the Wiri Wiri pepper is usually bright red in color, making it appear similar to fresh cherries. While they may be nicknamed Hot Cherry Peppers for their appearance, they taste nowhere near as sweet as a cherry. The peppers grow upright like ornaments on the plant, held erect and upside down by their stalks.
They start out as green spheres that transition into an orange and then a blood red shade as the peppers turn from green to orange to red and becomes spicier. They are red when mature.
What Are Wiri Wiri Pepper Used For?
In Guyana, the Wiri Wiri Pepper is used across breakfast, lunch, and dinner alike. It is added to eggs, incorporated into sauces, and mixed in with soups, stews, and stir fries for a spicy kick. Not only that, but many people like to eat the Wiri Wiri pepper fresh, right off the stalk, with their meals as it is extremely flavorful and the spice level is relatively tolerable. It is also used to make peppered rum.
The unique, tangy taste of the pepper makes it a great addition to most dishes, especially if you are already using tropical or Asian ingredients.
What Does Wiri Wiri Pepper Taste Like?
The reason behind the versatility of the Wiri Wiri pepper is its wonderful taste. Not only does this pepper provide a hearty hit of heat, but it is also just as fruity, flavorful, and tangy. You could describe its flavor profile as something close to a Habanero pepper, or maybe even a tomato if you focus on the tanginess.
The sweet and spicy taste is what makes it such a good pepper to pair or fuse with Asian cuisine. You can use it to make some tangy sauces and sides.
Where To Buy Wiri Wiri Pepper?
If you live anywhere near the South American, Caribbean, or Guyanese regions, you will find Wiri Wiri peppers in the market. If you live further out, you will be disappointed to know that it may be difficult to acquire the pepper, especially locally. You can try looking for them online but you are most likely to find dried Wiri Wiri peppers at best.
- Buy Wiri Wiri Peppers at Amazon (Affiliate link, my friends!) - you'll find dried products and seeds for growing.
What Is A Wiri Wiri Pepper Substitute?
In regards to the Scoville heat rating scale, you can compare and substitute the spice from a Wiri Wiri pepper with a Habanero pepper or a Scotch Bonnet chili. The flavor profiles of these three spices are also pretty similar, having the same fruity and tangy touch.
Got any questions? Let me know.
Mick Glendenning says
Where can I get seeds to grow my own plants?
Mike Hultquist says
Mick, check out my Resources page for Chili pepper plant and seeds resources: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/resources/
Judith says
I agree with those who say that the Wiri Wiri is easy to grow in more northerly climates. I received my first seeds from a Guyanese friend who grew them to profusion in Brooklyn We. have them in large pots, up-potting as necessary each year.
There is a yellow wiri wiri, possibly a “sport”?, as well as the more common red one.
The Wiri Wiri is rightly valued not just for its heat but for its distinctive and very pleasant flavour, unlike those which seem desired for painful heat alone!
John Barry says
Found a small family farm in Barbados run by a family from Guyana. They picked a bag of these very tasty, surprisingly hot pods right off the bush for me, along with a few that looked like smaller Scotch Bonnets. The Wiri was potent, but with an up-front punch of fruit. Accidentally came home with a few seeds to add to my body of work. Looking forward to having these reminders of Island Life in my garden from now on.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks for sharing, John! I appreciate it!
TriRegionBestBuds says
First Love Hot Pepper Sauce.
Andrew says
Wiris are my favorite pepper. I grow several varieties of hots such as habaneros, reapers, chocolate ghosts, habaneros, Thai missiles, etc. Wiris are by far the most flavorful. My wife is from Guyana and introduced me to these long years ago. We make hot sauce from it and everyone who tries it comments on how tasty they are. They have plenty of heat for most people. And if they are not hot enough for someone, that can be always be augmented with hotter fare, most of which have little flavor and will not detract from the depth of the wiri.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great to hear, Andrew! Thanks for sharing!
Colin W Row says
I don't know why the article says that growing Wiri-Wiri peppers would be "quite a feat". I live in Pennsylvania and they grow just fine. My girlfriend is from Guyana and turned me on to the pepper. We initially got starter plants in a Guyanese market in NYC, but now we grow them from seed. They grow just like any other pepper.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Colin, that statement is more about acquiring the seeds, not growing the peppers. I've amended it anyway to avoid confusion. Best.