Durban is South Africa’s HQ when it comes to cooking with chilli, and many of us here on the East Coast can’t go a day without it in our meals. And now, with our weather changing and summer is slipping past us, we are gearing up for those chilly nights!

A perfect place to “stay toasty” and escape from the “chilli” air would be inside, by a fireplace, at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa. This is where our head culinary artists will bring in a slight chilli heat onto selective dishes for the regular Eaves Restaurant diners to keep you warm from those crispy cool evenings in the Midlands.

Some trivia for those who don’t know, chilli peppers actually originated from Bolivia and were first cultivated in Mexico. After the Columbian exchange, many cultivars of chilli pepper spread across the globe, used for both food and traditional medicine.

Legend states that in the 17th century the first chilli recipe was prepared by a Spanish nun, sister Mary of Agreda, who never left her convent but whose spirit visited the Jumano people while her body remained in Spain in a trance.

There are said to be about 4 000 varieties of chilli in the world and are divided into five capsicum species and an additional 28 wild forms. The five cultivated Capsicum chilli varieties are: Annuum / Baccatum / Chinense / Frutescens & Pubescens

The chilli comes in a variety of textures, colours and flavours, and not all are hot in flavour.

1. Carolina Reaper: The hottest on the planet and is even ranked in the Guinness Book of World Records. It was bred for heat and that it is, with an average SHU of 1,641,000 SHU and peaks at 2.2 Million SHU on the Scoville scale! The Carolina Reaper pepper is 200x hotter than a Jalapeno #WorldsHottestPepper
   The Carolina Reaper is one hot pepper with a unique stinger tail that is unlike any other pepper, and every pod is different! The Carolina Reaper prices start from R280 for growing seed kits.

2. Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Red: This variety of chilli pepper originates from Moruga in Trinidad. The variety is considered as the world’s second-hottest variety with a SHU ranking of 1.2 million units to 2,009,231.

3. Ghost pepper: This chilli is the hottest commercially available chilli seed. Firmly up there as part of the “Killer Category”. Touching the flesh has been known to cause severe skin burns. The Bhut Jolokia is officially rated at an inferno like 1,001,304 Scoville heat units, according to the Guinness World Record.

4. Bird’s eye chilli: The name of this variety is attributed to the fact that the peppers are often very small, making it easier for birds to spread their seeds and the garden birds definitely do love this snack. A must for a Durban curry or bunny chow. This variety comes in either green or red colours. However small they are, they are known to be beneficial in controlling pains as well as acting as antibacterial agents. The bird’s eye ranges from 100,000 to 225,000 SHU on the Scoville scale.

5. Habanero chilli: The habanero pepper is a fiery chilli pepper with a fruity, citrusy flavour. It is prized for its level of heat, and is perfect for making hot sauces, spicy salsas, and infusing both heat and flavour into many dishes. They start off green on the habanero plants, but mature to a vibrant orange or red, depending on the variety. The pungency of the variety ranges from 100,000 to 350,000 SHU on the chilli scale.

6. Piri Piri (African Bird’s eye or Peri Peri): This type of spice is vastly known among us here in South Africa. Its common use is in the preparation of Peri Peri chicken dishes.  Peri Peri sauce is a traditional African sauce made from these peppers and is also known as Piri piri or pili pili and loved by any spicy food lover. It may be a small chilli but does provide some heat. Piri Piri has a ranking of 50,000 to 175,000 on the Scoville scale.

7. Red cayenne pepper: The red pepper is named after the city of Cayenne and predominantly used for flavouring dishes, as well as for medicinal purposes. Just about everyone has a glass bottle of cayenne in their kitchen to help spice up your pasta, seafood etc. These red chillies have a ranking of 30,000 to 50,000 SHU units.

8. Serrano: Serrano measures 10,000 to 25,000 SHU units on the Scoville scale. They are usually green when unripe but turn into a range of colours when ripe. The hot chilli pepper comes in handy when preparing salsa, fried, or pickled dishes.

9. Jalapeño and Chipotle: The terms Jalapeño and Chipotle are quite common in the pepper world. How are the two related? Chipotle peppers are typically Jalapeños, only that they have aged, dried, and smoked. As the chilli ripens, their capsaicin levels increase. Therefore, the heat difference is due to the ‘age differences.’ Chipotle South Africa looks dried and smoky while Jalapeños are fresh and crispy. Jalapeños range from 1,000 to 20,000 SHU, while Chipotles range from 2,500 to 10,000 SHU.

10. Peppadew: A South African pepper which was discovered in the 90’s. Since then, the variety continues to gain global popularity. The heat of the variety is mild, giving it a unique taste. The pepper has a rating of 1,100 to 1,200 SHU units. The peppadew chilli is vastly used in salads, a sandwich, quiches and so much more (depending on your personal choice).

So, head on up to the Midlands to visit the “Mouse” team at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa for that cosy & “chilli” experience. Go to www.grannymouse.co.za for restaurant or accommodation bookings!

For your information on ratings:

• SHU = Scoville Heat Unit (A measure of Spiciness) Pepper Scoville Scale displayed as Peak SHU Values
• SHU is a way of quantifying how spicy a pepper is by measuring the concentration of capsaicinoids. Capsaicin is the chemical responsible for the spicy sensation within a pepper.

Inspired by: https://fakazanews.com/2021/07/20/the-different-types-of-chillies-we-have-in-south-africa/

Generally, the basic items on a braai are the likes of boerewors and steak, but another popular favourite to braai is the kebab. A kebab is generally described as pieces of meat, or complementary foods, placed on a long shaft or thin rod to hold several pieces together while cooking over a grill or roasting over a fire. In addition to commercially produced skewers made of wood or metal, skewers made from natural materials are also available.

Some lovely options using natural skewers range from bay leaf branches for cooking beef and pork, cinnamon sticks for cooking chicken, pork, or fruit, lemongrass stalks for chicken, duck, pork, scallops, shrimp, and tofu, rosemary branches for chicken, lamb and shrimp, and sugarcane stalks for chicken, pork or shrimp.

Since metal skewers retain the heat of the grill or fire, make sure food is never eaten directly from the metal or it may cause a severe burn.

Rather than the round rod skewers, flat metal skewers are typically better at keeping food solidly positioned so the food items can be turned without rotating on the rod. Wood skewers need to be soaked first to avoid being ignited while the food is cooking.

Kebabs are said to have originated in Turkey when soldiers would grill chunks of freshly hunted animals skewed on swords on open field fires. The name was discovered through a Turkish script of Kyssa-I Yusuf in 1377, which is the oldest known source of where kebabs became a meal item. There is also evidence of the use of skewers found at a 300 000 year old site in Schoningen in Germany, where a stick with a burnt tip was found to have been used to cook meat over a fire.

The English word Kebab or in Northern America a Kabob, often occurring as  shish kebab is now a culinary term used in many countries for small pieces of meat cooked on a skewer.

Here in South Africa we like to call a kebab a sosatie. The word derives from sate (skewered meat) and saus (spicy sauce).

Generally when using chicken to make this recipe, a spicy and/or fruity marinade is used that showcases some of the uniqueness of South African cuisine, a combination of African, Indian as well as European flavours.

We cannot deny that we all love these chunks of flavourful grilled chicken. But it’s not just about the meat – one can add veggies such as red peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini and even pineapple, for those brave enough.  The most important thing is to give them a quick toss in the marinade before adding them to the skewers rather than adding the marinade afterwards.

Now, if you really want a special meal of chicken skewers served up, the head culinary artists at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa have the most tantalizing meal on the Bistro menu, and want to share this special recipe with you to try at home. Even better though…when next up in the Midlands, pop in for lunch and have it served without any fuss.

MARINADE FOR CHICKEN SKEWER

Yield: 1 litre

Ingredients

• 50ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Zest of two lemons
• 1lt plain yoghurt
• 50g onion powder
• 50g garlic powder
• 10g salt
• 5g turmeric
• 10g fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 x bay leaves, ground
• 20g freshly ground coriander (whole)
• 10g chopped fresh coriander
• Full cream milk to achieve ribbon consistency of yoghurt

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow to rest in the fridge for 2 hours
2. Pour over cubed chicken and vacuum seal

PINEAPPLE AND CAYENNE MANGO SALSA

Yield: 1kg

Ingredients

• 2 x pineapples, peeled and sliced into 1cm rounds and core removed (reserve the core for use later)
• 500g fresh mango, peeled and 1cm diced
• 10g cayenne pepper
• 100ml freshly squeezed lime juice
• 5g coarse ground black pepper
• 3g salt
• 10g fresh mint leaves chiffonade

Method

• Sprinkle cayenne pepper over pineapple and grill on both sides just until you see grill markings
• Set aside and allow to cool
• Blend pineapple core and pour pulp through a chinois and reserve the juice
• Dice grilled pineapple into 1cm cubes
• In a bowl, mix the pineapple, mango and mint
• Mix 100ml of the reserved pineapple juice with the lime juice
• Add this to the mixture
• Add the salt and pepper
• Mix gently by hand, place in a container and allow to rest for 1 hour in the fridge before serving