It is not often that I come across a plant worthy of sacrificing space for in my chilli greenhouse. So it is really something that last year, I decided on 6; all largely unavailable in the UK shops and I have found them to be deeply disappointing when they are.

So I made space for exotic herbs and was rewarded by a bit of a culinary epiphany. Freshly picked and straight into the kitchen, these aromatic flavours paired with juicy fresh chillies (obviously) lifted my midweek meals to a new level, with minimal effort.

These excellent companions for chillies are the aromatic stars of Asian and Mexican Cuisine, adding a quick burst of intense flavour.