Description
Chilli Name: TABASCO
Chilli Species: Frutescens
Chilli Origin: Mexico
Chilli Heat: Very Hot
The Tabasco is one of the world’s most iconic chillies — a classic frutescens variety from Mexico, best known as the key ingredient in the famous Louisiana-style hot sauce that bears its name. Beyond its cultural fame, Tabasco remains a highly productive and distinct chilli with sharp, clean heat and a bright, vinegary flavour profile perfectly suited to cooking and sauce-making.
The pods are small, slender, and upright, growing to about 4 cm long. They ripen from pale yellow-green through orange to bright red, creating a vivid display on the plant as multiple stages of ripening occur simultaneously. Unlike most chillies, Tabasco pods are juicy rather than dry-walled, making them ideal for fresh sauces and fermentation.
Flavour is tangy, slightly smoky, and sharply hot. At 30 000–50 000 SHU, the heat sits at the lower end of the Hot range — enough to deliver a clean, lingering burn without overwhelming flavour. When used fresh or fermented, the distinctive tartness develops into a smooth, bright sauce base with a signature frutescens kick.
Plants are tall, bushy, and highly productive, often reaching 90–120 cm in height. The upright pods create a striking ornamental effect as well as a generous harvest. Tabasco thrives in full sun and warm, humid conditions and remains one of the most dependable varieties for sauce production.
Originally from the Mexican state of Tabasco, this variety was later popularised in the United States, where it became the foundation of classic hot sauce culture. Its balance of heat, flavour, and yield has ensured its continued place among the most cultivated chillies in the world.
Germination temperature 28–30 °C. See our Water and Feed Guides for advise.
Chilli Seeds Qty is 5 per pack unless stated.
