Whole Birds Eye Chillies

Birds Eye chilli is cultivated in South East Asian countries such as Thailand. The chillies are 1 ½ inches long and ¼ inch wide. However, do not be fooled by their small size as these chillies have a sharp, peppery flavour with explosive heat! They come with a high Scoville heat rating, typically ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 units — beware these chillies have a kick so use sparingly.

While the origin of the name is not fully verified or known, it’s been observed that birds spread the seeds of chilli, because they’re not sensitive to capsaicin (the chemical that gives chillies their heat). Another theory is that if you look at a birds eye chilli, it does somewhat resemble a bird’s eye!

Amusingly, in Thailand they’re called “prik kee nu”, which translates as “mouse poop chilli”, thanks to they’re resemblance to mouse droppings. Hardly appetising…

The chillies are used in South East Asian dishes for decoration and to add heat. They are essential to make a traditional Red Thai Curry paste and sauces such as our Thai Panang Gourmet Cooking Sauce. Other Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia use Birds Eye chillies in stir fries, soups and relishes.

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