Greendoor - Thai Culinary – Chili Seeds

• Authenticity: The classic choice for Thai curries, sauces and spicy wok dishes.
• High yield: A single plant often produces hundreds of pods per season.
• Hardy & Fast-growing: It is one of the easiest varieties to grow and is ideal for novice gardeners.

Plant characteristics

The plant is a powerhouse with a compact growth habit:

• Growth habit: Grows very densely, bushy and upright. The plant is sturdy and rarely needs support.
• Height: Reaches around 50 to 70 cm in a pot, slightly more when grown outdoors.
• Leaves: Rather small, narrow and a rich dark green.
• Special feature: The flowers and fruit buds appear in large numbers at the tips of the shoots, making harvesting very efficient.

The fruit

The pods are small but visually striking:

• Shape: Slender, tapering to a point and about 5 to 7 cm long. They often grow in clusters pointing upwards.
• Colour progression: The fruits ripen from a glossy dark green (already very hot at this stage) to a bright signal red.
• Texture: Medium-thick fruit walls, very crisp and juicy.

Flavour & heat level

Thai Culinary delivers a direct, cutting heat without frills.

• Heat level: 7 to 8 (hot). On the Scoville scale, it ranges between 30,000 and 50,000 SHU.
• Aroma: Fresh and spicy with a subtle, vegetable-like note. It lacks the fruity sweetness of a habanero, making it the perfect partner for salty fish sauce, limes and garlic.

Uses

This variety is a real workhorse in spicy cuisine:

• Curry pastes: Freshly ground, it forms the most important base for red or green Thai curries.
• Som Tam: Indispensable for the famous spicy papaya salad.
• Drying: The pods are excellent for drying and processing into ‘Thai flakes’.
• Whole pods: Often cooked whole in soups (such as Tom Yum) to impart an even heat.

Technical details

• Type: Capsicum annuum
• Contents: 10+ seeds
• Heat level: 7–8 (Hot)
• Sowing: February to April (pre-sowing indoors)
• Maturation time: approx. 75–85 days
• Location: Full sun and warm; also tolerates high humidity very well.