Mexican chilli pepper 

Directory:

• The fruit
• Farming
• Cooking
• The plant
• Our products
• Video

Mexican chilli pepper is widely used in Italian cooking.Only few people have never tried it. The technical name of this variety is Goat's Weed and it is famous partly because of its supposed aphrodisiac qualities, which have turned it into a real cult. Its origins do not correspond to its name; in fact it is from Venezuela, where there its natural habitat is,  around the Andes. However, it is now farmed all over the world. 

Its spiciness reaches 30.000 SHU on the Scolville scale. 

The Mexican chilli pepper, also known as Acrata, has big and strong leaves, it grows in height and both the leaves and the stem are sligtly hairy so water can slide on them, as wax does on cars. 

The fruit

The plant produces many fruits, which at first have a green intense colour; then they become bright black and eventually bright red during the last part of the ripening process. At this moment, it is possible to eat it raw (only for the bravest ones). During the blossoming and the ripening, the plant has spectacular shapes; you could see the colours altogether or sometimes the same fruit has different shades.  

Farming

Unlike others, this particular variety resists to low temperatures, which allow to farm it in cold areas; in fact, as long as it is covered by a simple cloth, it can stay alive during winter and then "wake up" in March and produce leaves. With this variety, you will not have to plant the chilli pepper, yet you will only need to take care of it and every year it will bear beautiful and tasty chilli peppers. 

For more information on the farming of chilli peppers, see the following guide: guide to growing chillies. 

Cooking

The fruits of this plant are not excessively hot, slightly spicy, yet not fruity. They match any kind of meal, in fact they are suitable for sauces, seasoning, pasta, meat, fish. It is a real wildcard in cooking. 

The plant

The plant can be farmed either on the ground or in a vase. If properly farmed, the plant could reach 120 cm height. It can be located even on balconies, since it develops vertically. It is resistant to cold weather and this factor brings forward the germination by a month compared to other varieties. 

Our products