Brief Description

Rwanda hot pepper (Capsicum Annum) is the chili pepper that uses the ‘hot’ attribute because of its intense heat and different color other than red. It is a member of the pepper family with origins in Mexico. On average it is 9 to 12 centimeters long with very intense, spicy walls with similarly hot seeds.

Though there are red types, it mostly ripens from green to a chocolaty-brown color. Its Scoville heat units (SHU) levels reach 360,000 which place it in the same capsaicin level as bird’s eye and habanero. Much of the capsaicin comes from the walls of the skin and the seeds.

• Major varieties grown in Rwanda: The Rwandan bird eye chilli, Red chilli, Orange chilli, Yellow chilli and Habanero
• Cultivation locations in Rwanda: Kamonyi, Gisagara, Muhanga, Nyaruguru, Nyanza, Ruhango, Huye, Nyamagabe
• Climatic conditions for growth: Optimum temperatures between 20-30°C.
• Soils: Grown on a wide range of soils from sandy and loam, with a pH range between 5.5 and 7.
• Altitude: 100-1500mm above sea level.
• Rainfall: 600-1,200mm per annum.
• Destination: China, USA, Dubai, Belgium, Germany