Siling labuyo

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'Siling Labuyo'
Capsicum 'Siling Labuyo' (Mindanao, Philippines) 2.jpg
'Siling Labuyo' pepper. The small triangular fruits of siling labuyo are distinctively borne pointing upwards, like other Capsicum frutescens cultivars.
Genus Capsicum
Species Capsicum frutescens
Cultivar 'Siling Labuyo'
Heat Chilli45.svg Very hot
Scoville scale 80,000 - 100,000 SHU
Siling labuyo at a Philippine supermarket Siling labuyo at a Philippine supermarket.jpg
Siling labuyo at a Philippine supermarket

Siling labuyo is a small chili pepper cultivar that developed in the Philippines after the Columbian Exchange. It belongs to the species Capsicum frutescens and is characterized by triangular fruits that grow pointing upwards. [1] The fruits and leaves are used in traditional Philippine cuisine. The fruit is pungent, ranking at 80,000 to 100,000 heat units in the Scoville Scale. [2]

Contents

The cultivar name is Tagalog, and literally translates to "wild chili." [1] It is also known simply as labuyo or labuyo chili. [3] It is also sometimes known as Filipino bird's eye, to differentiate it from the Thai bird's eye chili. Both are commonly confused with each other in the Philippines, though they are cultivars of two different species. [4] Siling labuyo is one of two common kinds of local chili found in the Philippines, the other being siling haba (a Capsicum annuum cultivar). [5]

Siling labuyo is generally accepted as the world's smallest hot pepper, as the fruit often measure a mere 0.20 in (0.51 cm) in length by 0.10 in (0.25 cm) in width. [6]

It is listed in the Ark of Taste international catalog of endangered heritage foods of the Philippines by the Slow Food movement. [7]

Taxonomy and names

Siling labuyo is officially known under the cultivar name Capsicum frutescens 'Siling labuyo'. It belongs to the species Capsicum frutescens . Related cultivars to 'Siling labuyo' include 'Tabasco', 'Malagueta', and 'Peri-peri'. [1]

The common name is Tagalog for "wild chili", from sili ("chili") and the enclitic suffix -ng, and labuyo ("growing wild", also a term for wild chicken or junglefowl). [1] [8] Other local names for it include chileng bundok, siling palay, pasitis, pasite (Tagalog); katumbal, kutitot, siling kolikot (Bisaya); katumba or lara jangay (Tausug); sili ti diablo (Ilocano); lada,sambalas, rimorimo (Bicolano); paktin (Ifugao); and luya tiduk (Maranao). [9]

Description

A mature siling labuyo bush Siling labuyo.jpg
A mature siling labuyo bush

Like other Capsicum frutescens cultivars, siling labuyo has a compact habit, growing between 0.8 and 1.5 m (2 ft 7 in and 4 ft 11 in) high. They have smooth ovate to lanceolate leaves that are around 64 mm (2.5 in) in length with pointed tips. They produce small greenish-white flowers with purple stamens. These develop into a large number of small, tapering fruits that are around 25 mm (1 in) in length. The fruits are very pungent and are characteristically borne erect (pointing upwards). Immature fruits are deep green in color and usually ripen to a vivid red. Depending on maturity and the variety, they can display a range of other colors, including yellow, orange, white, or a vivid purple. Flowers and fruits are often clustered in groups of 2 to 3 at a node. [1] [10] [11] [12]

Siling labuyo fruits are small but are very hot. It measures around 80,000-100,000 Scoville units which is at the lower end of the range for the hotter habanero chili. [2] At one time it was even listed as the hottest chili in the Guinness Book of World Records but other hotter varieties of chili have since been identified.[ citation needed ]

Ingredient in cooking

Although not as central in Filipino cuisine as bird's eye chilies are in other cuisines of Southeast Asia, it is still an often-used ingredient. Its leaves are usually consumed as a vegetable, such as in dishes like tinola . [1] [13]

The most common use of siling labuyo, however, is in dipping sauces ( sawsawan ), which almost universally accompanies fried or grilled Filipino dishes. Unlike in western cuisines, these dipping sauces are created by the diner according to their preferences and are not made beforehand. Siling labuyo is almost always offered as an optional spicy element, alongside calamansi, soy sauce, vinegar, and patis (Filipino fish sauce). [14] [15] [16]

Siling labuyo is also an essential ingredient in palapa , a sweet and spicy condiment made with scallions, coconut, ginger, and turmeric that is central to the cuisine of the Maranao people. [17] [18]

Siling labuyo can also used to make Filipino-style spiced vinegar (like sinamak and sukang pinakurat ) which is also used as a dipping sauce. Instead of mixing fresh chilis on the table, the vinegar itself is infused with a large amount of siling labuyo and other spices and stored in bottles or mason jars. They can be kept for long periods in the refrigerator and their taste develops with time. [14]

Natural pesticide use

Siling labuyo can be used as a natural pesticide on crops in the Philippines. The fruit, skin and seeds of siling labuyo are all effective for ants, aphids, caterpillars, Colorado beetle, cabbage worms, warehouse and storage pests. [19] [20]

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) technology suggests that natural pest control mechanisms are beneficial and that the growth of a healthy crop with the least possible disruption to agro-ecosystems is encouraged. [21]

Commonly confused cultivars

Several introduced chili cultivars are increasingly being mislabeled as "siling labuyo" in Philippine markets (especially in Luzon), because these cultivars are generally easier to grow and harvest than siling labuyo. Their color and shape are also more consistent and they have a longer shelf life, but they are regarded as less spicy than siling labuyo. [1] [22] [23] [24]

These mislabeled cultivars include the red bird's eye chili ("Thai chili"), which is actually a chili pepper cultivar from a different species ( Capsicum annuum ) that came by way of Thailand. Their fruits, unlike C. frutescens, are borne on the plant drooping down. [4] In Luzon, siling tingala and siling tari , high-yield F1 hybrids of C. frutescens and C. annuum from Taiwan are also commonly sold as siling labuyo. While they have C. frutescens ancestry (the fruits are also borne somewhat erect), they are much longer and uniformly red, similar to Thai bird's eye chilis. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell pepper</span> Group of fruits of Capsicum annuum

The bell pepper is the vegetable of plants in the Grossum Group of the species Capsicum annuum. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange, green, white, chocolate, candy cane striped, and purple. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent chili varieties as "sweet peppers". While they are botanically fruits—classified as berries—they are commonly used as a vegetable ingredient or side dish. Other varieties of the genus Capsicum are categorized as chili peppers when they are cultivated for their pungency, including some varieties of Capsicum annuum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chili pepper</span> Varieties of peppers belonging to several species of Capsicum genus

Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli, are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. Chili peppers are widely used in many cuisines as a spice to add "heat" to dishes. Capsaicin and related compounds known as capsaicinoids are the substances that give chili peppers their intensity when ingested or applied topically. Chili peppers exhibit a wide range of heat and flavors. This diversity is the reason behind the availability of different types of paprika and chili powder, each offering its own distinctive taste and heat level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malagueta pepper</span> Variety of chili pepper

Malagueta pepper, a variety of Capsicum frutescens, is a type of chili pepper widely used in Brazil, the Caribbean, Portugal, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe. It got its name from the unrelated melegueta pepper, an African spice from Guinea which is a member of the ginger family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot sauce</span> Condiment made from chili peppers

Hot sauce is a type of condiment, seasoning, or salsa made from chili peppers and other ingredients. Many commercial varieties of mass-produced hot sauce exist.

<i>Capsicum annuum</i> Species of flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae

Capsicum annuum is a fruiting plant from the family Solanaceae (nightshades), within the genus Capsicum which is native to the northern regions of South America and to southwestern North America. The plant produces berries of many colors including red, green, and yellow, often with pungent taste. It also has many varieties and common names including paprika, chili pepper, jalapeño, cayenne, bell pepper, and many more with over 200 variations within the species. It is also one of the oldest cultivated crops, with domestication dating back to around 6,000 years ago in regions of Mexico. The genus Capsicum has over 30 species but Capsicum annuum is the primary species in its genus, as it has been widely cultivated for human consumption for a substantial amount of time and has spread across the world. This species has many uses in culinary applications, medicinal uses, self defense, and can even be ornamental. With high levels of cultivation the species is cared for greatly and globaly, though there are still some pests and diseases that can impact the species.

Birdseye, Birds Eye or Bird's Eye may refer to:

<i>Capsicum frutescens</i> Species of chili pepper

Capsicum frutescens is a wild chili pepper having genetic proximity to the cultivated pepper Capsicum chinense native to Central and South America. Pepper cultivars of C. frutescens can be annual or short-lived perennial plants. Flowers are white with a greenish white or greenish yellow corolla, and are either insect- or self-pollinated. The plants' berries typically grow erect; ellipsoid-conical to lanceoloid shaped. They are usually very small and pungent, growing 10–20 millimetres (0.39–0.79 in) long and 3–7 millimetres (0.12–0.28 in) in diameter. Fruit typically grows a pale yellow and matures to a bright red, but can also be other colors. C. frutescens has a smaller variety of shapes compared to other Capsicum species. C. frutescens has been bred to produce ornamental strains because of its large quantities of erect peppers growing in colorful ripening patterns.

<i>Capsicum chinense</i> Species of flowering plant

Capsicum chinense, commonly known as a "habanero-type pepper", is a species of chili pepper native to the Americas. C. chinense varieties are well known for their unique flavors and many have exceptional heat. The hottest peppers in the world are members of this species, with a Scoville Heat Unit score of 2.69 million measured in the C. chinense cultivar, Pepper X in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine condiments</span> Condiments used in Filipino cuisine

The generic term for condiments in the Filipino cuisine is sawsawan. Unlike sauces in other Southeast Asian regions, most sawsawan are not prepared beforehand, but are assembled on the table according to the preferences of the diner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chili sauce and paste</span> Condiment prepared with chili peppers

Chili sauce and chili paste are condiments prepared with chili peppers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tabasco pepper</span> Variety of chili pepper

The tabasco pepper is a variety of the chili pepper species Capsicum frutescens originating in Mexico. It is best known through its use in Tabasco sauce, followed by peppered vinegar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicol express</span> Filipino stew with chili peppers

Bicol express, known natively in Bikol as sinilihan, is a popular Filipino dish which was popularized in the district of Malate, Manila but made in traditional Bicolano style. It is a stew made from long chili peppers or small chili peppers, coconut milk/coconut cream, shrimp paste or stockfish, onion, pork, ginger and garlic. The dish was termed by Laguna resident, Cely Kalaw, during a cooking competition in the 1970s in Malate, Manila. The name of the dish was inspired by the Bicol Express railway train that operated from Tutuban, Manila to Legazpi, Albay. The widely-known name for this dish in the Bicol Region of the Philippines was identified as gulay na may lada, which is currently one of the vegetarian variants of the Bicol express dish. As time progressed, variants of the Bicol express dish expanded with seafood, beef, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, and other versions. The preparations for these dishes vary according to the meat present within the dish. In terms of nutritional value, the original version of the Bicol express dish is beneficial in protein but unhealthy in regards to its high levels of saturated fats and cholesterol. The dish has moved into food processing and commercial production so that it can be sold conveniently and stored for a longer period of time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guajillo chili</span> Mexican chili pepper

A guajillo chili or guajillo chile or chile guaco or mirasol chile is a landrace variety of the species Capsicum annuum with a mirasol chile fruit type. Mirasol is used to refer to the fresh pepper, and the term guajillo is used for the dry form, which is the second-most common dried chili in Mexican cuisine. The Mexican state of Zacatecas is one of the main producers of guajillo chilies. There are two main varieties that are distinguished by their size and heat factors. The guajillo puya is the smaller and hotter of the two. In contrast, the longer and wider guajillo has a more pronounced, richer flavor and is somewhat less spicy. With a rating of 2,500 to 5,000 on the Scoville scale, its heat is considered mild to medium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siling haba</span> Cultivar of Capsicum annuum

Siling haba, espada, siling mahaba, siling pangsigang, siling Tagalog, and sometimes called green chili, finger chili or long pepper, is one of two kinds of chili common to the Philippines and Filipino cuisine, the other being siling labuyo. Unlike siling labuyo, it belongs to the species Capsicum annuum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bird's eye chili</span> Variety of chili pepper

Bird's eye chili or Thai chili is a chili pepper, a variety from the species Capsicum annuum native to Mexico. Cultivated across Southeast Asia, it is used extensively in many Asian cuisines. It may be mistaken for a similar-looking chili derived from the species Capsicum frutescens, the cultivar siling labuyo. Capsicum frutescens fruits are generally smaller and characteristically point upwards.

<i>Capsicum</i> Genus of flowering plants

Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae, native to the Americas, cultivated worldwide for their chili pepper or bell pepper fruit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cayenne pepper</span> Hot chili pepper used to flavor dishes

The cayenne pepper is a type of Capsicum annuum. It is usually a moderately hot chili pepper used to flavor dishes. Cayenne peppers are a group of tapering, 10 to 25 cm long, generally skinny, mostly red-colored peppers, often with a curved tip and somewhat rippled skin, which hang from the bush as opposed to growing upright. Most varieties are generally rated at 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinamita</span> Filipino fried crêpe-wrapped pepper dish

Dinamita is a deep-fried Filipino snack consisting of stuffed siling haba wrapped in a thin egg crêpe. The stuffing is usually giniling, cheese, or a combination of both but it can also be adapted to use a wide variety of ingredients, including tocino, ham, bacon, tuna, and shredded chicken. Dinamita is also known as dynamite lumpia, among other names. It is a type of lumpia and it is commonly eaten as an appetizer or as a companion to beer.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 DeWitt, D.; Bosland, P.W. (2009). The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener's Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking. Timber Press. ISBN   978-0881929201.
  2. 1 2 "2018 Scoville Scale: Ultimate List of Pepper's & Their Scoville Heat Units". Chasing Chilli. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  3. ↑ Loresco, Shadz (July 11, 2015). "'Superhots' spicing up PH chili industry". Rappler. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Siling Labuyo: The Filipino Bird's Eye". PepperScale. April 30, 2017.
  5. ↑ Frial-McBride, Mary Grace (2016). "Extraction of resins from Capsicum annuum var. longum (Siling haba) for the study of their potential anti-microbial activities" (PDF). Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research. 8 (3): 117–127. ISSN   0975-7384. S2CID   41092438. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  6. ↑ "The World's Smallest Hot Pepper". Boopolo. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Siling Labuyo". Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  8. ↑ "labuyo". Tagalog-Dictionary.com. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  9. ↑ Capsicum Frutescens Linn. Sileng-Labuyo
  10. ↑ "Siling-labuyo". Philippine Medicinal Plants. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Hot pepper" (PDF). Republic of Philippines, Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  12. ↑ Taculao, Patricia Bianca S. (November 16, 2019). "The color purple: Siling labuyo blooms in another bright color". Agriculture Monthly. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  13. ↑ Nagpala, Ellaine Grace. (2007). A fresh look at siling labuyo. BAR Chronicle 8(10). Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  14. 1 2 3 Ponseca, Nicole; Trinidad, Miguel. "Filipino-Style Spiced Vinegar". epicurious. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  15. ↑ "PINAY LIFESTYLE: Filipino dishes not complete without the "sawsawan" (dips) - The Complete "Sawsawan" Guide: Bulacan, Philippines". Filipina Women's Network. March 19, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  16. ↑ "A Guide to Filipino Sawsawan (Dipping Sauces)". Primer. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  17. ↑ Polistico, Edgie (December 23, 2012). "Palapa". Philippine Food Illustrated. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  18. ↑ Santos, Kara (September 27, 2018). "Home > Life Maranao condiment 'palapa' offers recipe for hope". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  19. ↑ Taculao, Patricia Bianca s. (June 1, 2019). "Create an organic pepper spray using 'siling labuyo'". Manila Bulletin . Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Siling labuyo: More than a hot spice". SunStar . December 16, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Plant Production and Protection Division: Integrated Pest Management".
  22. 1 2 Salcedo, Margaux (July 31, 2016). "Slow Food campaign kicks into high gear in PH". Inquirer Business. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  23. ↑ Connie Veneracion (January 16, 2016). "Correction: "siling labuyo" is not the same as bird's eye chili". CasaVeneracion. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Sili - Philippine Chilis". Clovegarden - an International Food Site. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
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