Description
Chilli Name : PEQUIN
Chilli Species : Annuum
Chilli Origin : Mexico
Chilli Heat : Hot
Pequin (also known as Piquín or Chile Pequeño) is a small but powerful Mexican chilli with centuries of culinary tradition behind it. It’s believed to be a wild ancestor of many modern hot chillies, still thriving in Mexico’s arid hillsides and used in homes and markets across the country. Pequin chillies are central to Mexican cuisine — particularly in salsas, pickles, and table sauces — where they lend both fire and deep, smoky flavour.
Pods are tiny and oval, about 1–2 cm long, ripening from green to rich red. The flavour is earthy, citrusy, and slightly nutty, with a sharp, clean heat that typically reaches 60,000–100,000 SHU. Though small, their intensity easily rivals much larger chillies. When dried, they develop a smoky aroma and are a key ingredient in Salsa Macha and Cholula-style sauces.
Plants are compact and bushy (50–70 cm tall), producing large clusters of upright pods. They’re naturally tough and drought-tolerant, suited to both containers and open ground.
Seeds germinate best at 28–30 °C, sprouting within 10–21 days. Plants mature in roughly 100–110 days, yielding continuously through late summer.
