African Food and Art

This blog explores the wisdom of African proverbs, the depth of folklore, the beauty of art, the stories of history, and the flavors of timeless African food recipes.

African Hot Peppers Making Shito Pepper Sauce

List of hot peppers from Africa and how to make Shito hot pepper sauce.

Hot peppers that originated from Africa, Devil's Rib from Ghana, the African Cheeky, Fatali, Pettie Belle and Piment Curry hot-peppers from Mauritius. 

Making fiery seafood for my husband

Hot peppers that originated from Africa

Devil's Rib
An extremely hot habanero chili from Ghana. They are slightly ribbed and turn from a shiny green to bright red as they ripen. The plants are sprawling bushes that can be grown either in the ground or large pots.


Cheeky
Sea Spring Seeds selection from the Ghanaian landrace kpakpo shito, the small, roundish fruit are about 20 mm in diameter and change from lime green to orange to red as they mature. They are very hot, and their deep lobes make them look somewhat like the cheeks of a vagabond, hence the name. The plants are a tidy bush and can grow unsupported, making them perfectly suited for small or large pots and grow bags.


Fatali
A Habanero relative, this prolific plant can grow tall. The plant produces good yields of wrinkled extremely hot fruits which turn from pale green to bright yellow when mature. They have a fruity, almost citrus-like flavor making it a very attractive hot sauce.


Pettie Belle
A habanero chili selected by Sea Spring Seeds from the kpakpo shito landrace of Ghana. A high proportion of the small fruit (about 25 mm in diameter) is bell-shaped, making this variety possibly the smallest bell pepper in the world. They are hot, but measuring around 37,500 SHUs they are still one of the milder habaneros. The medium-tall, bushy plants can be grown in the ground or larger pots, though they will need support to stay upright.


Piment Curry
Mauritius pepper that is thin-fleshed, wrinkled fruit is about the size and shape of the forefinger, turning from green to red as they ripen. Mauritians like to eat this chili green, either gently fried in oil or coated in a spicy batter made from chickpea flour and deep-fried.

What makes hot peppers hot

The capsaicin in peppers causes the heat you experience while eating hot peppers. The more capsaicin in the pepper, the hotter it is. This unique, natural chemical is found prominent in the seeds of the pepper. 

 The hot pepper’s power is concentrated in the placenta, the central core of the fruit that contains the seeds, otherwise known as the pith, and the thick veins that attach the placenta to the pepper wall. 

 Removing the seeds, then, usually results in removing the placenta and veins, thus cooling the fruit’s heat.

African hot peppers


Shito Ghanaian Pepper Sauce Recipe

Shito Ghanaian pepper sauce is made with hot peppers, shrimp, fish, tomato paste and seasonings to create Ghana’s most beloved hot sauce.

Ingredients
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
10 hot peppers
1 tablespoon shrimp paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil

How to make Shito Ghanaian pepper sauce.
Add all ingredients into a food processor and mix well. In a medium saucepan simmer 15 minutes on low. Add sauce to soups, stews or use as a sauce over seafood. Add all ingredients into a food processor and mix well. In a medium saucepan simmer 15 minutes on low. Add sauce to soups, stews or use as a sauce over seafood.
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