Cheiro Roxa: My Favourite Chilli This Year
This year, my absolute favourite chilli has to be the Cheiro Roxa. While it’s not desperately hot, it's bursting with flavour and its beauty is truly captivating. Imagine lush green foliage kissed with hints of purple, perfectly contrasting with the deep purple stems and leaf veins.
As if that weren’t enough, the plants are adorned with little pods that start as a rich purple, transitioning to a striking green as they mature, and eventually ripening through shades of purply pink to a lovely peach. Simply stunning!
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This stunning Cheiro Roxa thrived in the warmth of my greenhouse, with its long, lush branches bursting with delicate peachy pods.
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Cheiro Roxa boasts some of the chilli world's most striking pods, dangling from the branches like iridescent little lanterns.
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I had to stake my greenhouse plant to support its sprawling branches, which grew heavy with an abundant crop of vibrant chilli pods.
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In contrast, the outdoor plant was smaller and stockier, easily supporting its sturdy little pods without any need for staking.
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n the greenhouse, my chillies transformed into elongated lanterns, ripening from purple to pink, and finally to irresistible shades of peach and salmon.
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I left the pods on the plant longer than usual, just because they made me smile every time I stepped into the greenhouse..
I decided to grow two plants this year—one in the greenhouse and one outdoors. To my delight, both thrived, producing an impressive number of chillies. The outdoor plant turned out to be the more attractive specimen, bushy and stocky, making it right at home on an ornamental patio.
Meanwhile, the greenhouse plant shot up to a towering 1.5 metres! I found myself staking the long branches, weighed down with fruit, just to prevent them from collapsing under their own weight. Interestingly, while the outdoor plant’s pods had a similar rounded lantern shape, the greenhouse variety elongated to about an inch as they matured, yielding much larger pods.
These chillies were quite adaptable when it came to pot sizes. I planted the smaller outdoor plant in an 8-10 litre pot, while my impressive 1.5-metre greenhouse plant thrived in a 22-litre pot.
These chillies were quite adaptable when it came to pot sizes. I planted the smaller outdoor plant in an 8-10 litre pot, while my impressive 1.5-metre greenhouse plant thrived in a 22-litre pot.
They’re remarkably easy to grow, not fussy like some chinense varieties can be, and they started producing pods relatively early on. I found that the smaller pods tend to develop quicker, so I made sure to keep picking the ripe ones. This encourages a second or even third flush of flowers, which is always a bonus!
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Pink chillies are rare, which makes these Brazilian beauties stand out even more in a world of fiery reds and greens.
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As these crisp, juicy pods ripen, their contrasting shades of deep purple and green gently shift to soft, rosy tones.
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The outdoor Roxa pods were rounder, about the size of a marble—never elongating like their greenhouse siblings but just as stunning.
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The outdoor Roxa pods were rounder, about the size of a marble—never elongating like their greenhouse siblings but just as stunning.
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With deep purple skin and a vibrant lime green interior, these pods are truly gorgeous inside and out.
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Christmas gift for the lucky ones. I pickled my ripe Cheiro Roxa into small jars. Bet they're going to be a big hit at the Christmas table!
As for the heat level, Cheiro Roxa chillies are mild enough to eat straight up, much like a Biquinho. I’ve enjoyed adding halved pods to salads and using them as a vibrant topping for pizza. They make for a lovely dressing chilli! Most of mine ended up pickled, prepared similarly to biquinhos, which has been a delightful way to preserve their beauty.
These chillies have thick walls and a satisfying crunch, bursting with juiciness as you bite into them. They don’t have a strong aroma, and their flavour is quite distinct from other chinense varieties. Instead of the typical heat, they present a sweeter, lighter taste with a refreshing hint of pineapple.
Despite being a chinense variety, Cheiro Roxa defies the usual heat expectations associated with its relatives, much like the biquinhos. If you’re looking for a chilli that’s as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate, I can’t recommend the Cheiro Roxa enough! Want to read more about the Cheiro Roxa?
Ready to Grow Your Own Cheiro Roxa Chilli?
If you've been inspired by the beauty and boldness of the Cheiro Roxa, why not try growing one yourself? Whether you're looking for a unique addition to your greenhouse or an eye-catching ornamental plant, this chilli is a perfect choice.
Pre-order now. It’s not only fun to grow, Don’t miss your chance to experience the joy of growing your own!
World of Chillies was set up by Sarah Hunt in 2011 to promote chilli growing and the enjoyment of everything hot and spicy.
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