Description
Chilli Name : LJUTI
Chilli Species : Annuum
Chilli Origin : Balkans (former Yugoslavia region)
Chilli Heat : Medium
Ljuti — meaning hot or spicy in several South Slavic languages — is a traditional Balkan chilli variety prized for its flavour, versatility, and dependable heat. It’s widely grown across Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, and Montenegro, where it’s used in ajvar, relishes, and pickled chillies that accompany almost every meal.
Pods are slender, slightly curved and smooth, around 8–10 cm long, ripening from light green to vivid red. The flavour is sweet, earthy, and mildly smoky, with medium heat around 15,000–30,000 SHU — lively but not overpowering. When pickled, Ljuti retains both its firmness and colour, making it ideal for traditional Balkan condiments and table use.
Plants are upright and hardy (60–80 cm tall), adapted to warm summers and cooler nights, reflecting their mountainous regional origins. They produce steady yields of uniform pods that are easy to dry or preserve.
Seeds germinate best at 28–30 °C, sprouting in 10–21 days. Plants mature in about 90–100 days and fruit reliably even in moderate climates.
