[CH] Piri Piri Chile?
Peter Moss (pmoss@yoda.alt.za)
Tue, 4 May 1999 21:30:07 RSA-2
> Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 22:20:43 +1000
> From: "Mark Ellis" <mellis@gribbles.com.au>
[snip]
> Now I know some will say that there is only piri piri sauce
> etc, but apparently there is a piri piri chile. Well piri
> piri chile - if that's really your name, present yourself know
> to our scrutiny!!!!
In the first place piri means chile in swahili so a translation
of piri piri chile is chile chile chile ;-) Which is the next
point. In general in Africa when a word is repeated it is a form
of emphasis. We see piri piri, pila pila, berebere and for the
soccer fans Bafana Bafana and so on. I guess the repeated word
means that it is thought to be exceptional in some way.
Throughout Africa a small C. frutescens grows. It is spread
both by humans and birds and can be found growing "wild".
There has been a proposal to declare it a weed in South Africa.
There may be regional differences in physical characteristics
and there are regional differences in names. I have seen small
samples of those from Malawi (larger), Mozambique (smaller) and
South Africa. I have read the description on Zimbabwe Bird and
some other countries I have forgotten. Other than minor
differences in size, heat and taste probably due to regional
developments, they are all the same. And yes, I do realise I am
saying all Cabernet Savignon is the same ;-)
In this neck of the woods they are called Devil Chiles,
further north others call them Zimbabwe Birds Eye and in
Mozambique locals call them piri piri or peri peri. Probably
every town and village in Africa has a different name for them.
You can ponder why a swahili word is used by the portuguese,
who introduced this chile to Africa (West) in the first place.
Anyone who wants African Devil seeds can email me directly. I
would be looking for anything unusual, possibly in C. chinense
like datil, habanero, goat... but it is not that important that
some exchange has to take place for you to get seeds. The
plant is hardy and will take cold quite well. Grows about 4
feet high. Fruit all year but far less in winter (in Africa)
YMMV.
Peter
-- Peter Moss
"Well, let's just say, 'if your VCR is still blinking 12:00, you
don't want Linux'". - Bruce Perens