Bahamian Goat Chilli
A quirky, pumpkin-shaped Caribbean chilli with sweet habanero heat
A legendary Caribbean chilli from the Bahamas - little pumpkin-shaped pods with a sweet, fruity, habanero-class heat and a wonderfully odd name. A characterful, more interesting alternative to the habanero.
About this variety
A Bahamian pepper shaped like a tiny pumpkin. The pods are small, round and slightly squashed, with deep vertical ridges running down them, ripening from green to a peachy orange. Cut one open and the flesh has an odd frosted, almost snowy sheen against the pale membrane. It is the most distinctive-looking chilli in the greenhouse and it always draws comment.
The flavour holds up to the looks. It is a close relative of the habanero and the Scotch bonnet and carries the same sweet fruity depth, with plenty of growers rating it above a bonnet. At 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville units the heat is serious and builds gradually, a clear step below the superhots and far more usable for actual cooking. Nobody agrees where the name comes from. The best theory is the pungent musky smell released when you slice one, which some people insist is unmistakably goat.
It is a Capsicum chinense, so it wants a long warm season and an early start, and it will reach around 1.2m hung with dozens of pods. Wash your hands after handling the cut fruit and keep it away from your eyes.
Plant alongside
Bahamian Goat Chilli pairs beautifully with these kitchen garden companions
