| Scotch bonnet | |||||||
| Species: | Capsicum chinense | ||||||
| Cultivar: | 'Scotch Bonnet' | ||||||
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Scotch bonnet (also known as Bonney peppers, or Caribbean red peppers)[1] is a variety of chili pepper named for its supposed resemblance to a Scottish tam o' shanter bonnet.[2] [3] It is ubiquitous in West Africa and the Caribbean.
Like the closely related habanero, Scotch bonnets have a heat rating of 100,000–350,000 Scoville units.[4] For comparison, most jalapeño peppers have a heat rating of 2,500 to 8,000. A completely sweet variety of Scotch bonnet, cachucha, is grown on some Caribbean islands.
Scotch bonnets are used to flavor many dishes and cuisines worldwide and are often used in hot sauces and condiments. The Scotch bonnet has a sweeter flavor and stouter shape, distinct from its habanero relative with which it is often confused.
Scotch bonnets are mostly used in West Africa, West Indian, Sri Lankan, and Maldivian cuisines and pepper sauces, though they often appear in other Caribbean recipes. Scotch bonnets are used in jerk cooking.[5] They are also used in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama for Caribbean-styled recipes such as rice and peas, rondón, saus, beef patties, and ceviche.