SOME LIKE IT HOT!

CHILI-EXHIBITION 2024

That's why we have a chili exhibition every year. This year you can marvel at over 190 varieties!

CHILI-EXHIBITION 2024

You will find the exhibition outdoors opposite the show greenhouses. Admission is free!

Why are chilies hot?

Chilies come in all degrees of "hotness", from very mild to beyond the pain threshold. A group of alkaloids, the capsaicinoids (e.g. capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin), is responsible for the pungency. The highest concentration of these substances is found in the placenta of the fruit. This is the whitish tissue inside the fruit on which the seeds sit.

Capsaicinoids stimulate certain sensory receptors that normally signal the sensation of pain when exposed to strong heat or chemical irritation. Pungency is therefore not a taste sensation, but a pain sensation. However, this effect only works in mammals. Birds, the natural seed dispersers of chilies, are immune.

A pinch of chili-botany

Botanically, chilies belong to the genus Capsicum in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). They are therefore close relatives of the potato, tomato and tobacco and, like these, originate from America. The genus Capsicum comprises a total of 40 species. However, only five of these are cultivated for their fruits: C. annuum, C. baccatum, C. chinense, C. frutescens and C. pubescens [Photos: Timo Riering]

A pinch of chili-botany

C. annuum L.

red pepper, bell pepper, paprika - heat level 0-8 - Capsicum annuum is the most diverse species of all. It also includes all bell peppers that are not at all hot. Among the hot varieties there are many mild, but also some medium-hot to very hot types. The fruits vary from very small to the largest in the genus. Although ‘annuum’ means ‘annual’, like all chilies they are perennial, even though they are usually only cultivated as annuals.

A pinch of chili-botany

C. baccatum

ajÍ (Spanish) - heat level 0-8 - The yellowish spots around the centre of the flower and rather large, broad leaves are typical of this species. The fruits, which are very variable in shape, initially upright but later drooping, do not taste at all like ‘normal’ chillies. They have a flowery, fruity, almost artificial flavour. Although there are also many cultivated varieties of this species, they are still relatively unknown in Europe.

Capsicum chinense Trinidad Scorpion Butch T yellow

A pinch of chili-botany

C. chinense

habanero-type pepper - heat level 0-10+ - In terms of cultivar-diversity, this species comes in second place. Its fruits are usually very hot. In fact, all the world records for heat come from Capsicum chinense, such as the ‘Carolina Reaper’! habanero-type chilies have white flowers with a characteristic constriction of the calyx above the fruit. The fruits have a very intense, exotic fruity flavour. Delicious!

A pinch of chili-botany

C. frutescens

bird pepper, tabasco pepper - heat level 6-8 - There are relatively few varieties of this species, but everyone knows the ‘Tabasco’ variety that belongs here. The flowers are often characterised by long-stemmed, whitish-green flowers with purple-coloured stamens. The upright fruits are small, elongated and red in colour. Capsicum frutescens is very closely related to C. annuum and can easily be confused with it.

A pinch of chili-botany

C. pubescens

rocot, "hairy pepper" - heat level 5-8 - This species, which originates from the Andes, differs significantly from the other cultivated species, mainly due to its hairy leaves and stems. The purple flowers produce hanging, rather large, roundish, juicy fruits. They have a very characteristic, slightly fruity flavour. The high pungency of the fruits spreads throughout the mouth and is perceived by some as scratchy.