Habanero is one of the most intensely flavoured hot chillies — a Caribbean variety with exceptional fruity complexity alongside its serious heat. The lantern-shaped fruit ripens from green to orange, red, or chocolate depending on the cultivar, and the flavour has a distinctive tropical fruitiness that no milder chilli can replicate. A small amount transforms a dish; used thoughtfully it's one of the most exciting chillies to cook with.
Flavour
Extraordinary fruity-floral complexity alongside intense heat (100,000–350,000 Scoville). The flavour has tropical notes — mango, apricot, citrus — that emerge behind the initial heat wave. The orange form is the classic; red habanero is slightly less fruity and hotter; chocolate habanero is the deepest and most complex. The fruit quality is completely distinct from the simple heat of cayenne or jalapeño.
In the kitchen
Use sparingly and respect the heat. A single habanero in a jerk marinade (with scotch bonnet as its close relative) provides the authentic Caribbean heat and fruit note that defines the dish. Also exceptional in a fruit salsa — diced habanero with mango, lime, and coriander alongside grilled chicken or fish. Use gloves when handling.
Growing
Requires a long growing season and consistent heat — best grown in a heated greenhouse in the UK. Sow in January at 24–27°C. Plants are slow to establish but become very productive once the season warms. Habaneros ripen later than most varieties — harvest from September into October under glass. The plants are ornamental as well as productive with their lantern-shaped colourful fruit.