Chile peppers can be a fun and beautiful plant to grow in our Hawaii gardens. They can also brighten our palates by adding a bit of chile pepper spice to our home cooking.
Known as nioi or nioi pepa in Hawaiian, these fiery garden gems are also called bird peppers. Its scientific name is Capsicum annuum. Native to tropical America, they have been in Hawaii since at least 1813.
Part of the diverse Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, Hawaiian chile pepper plants can range in height from a few inches and grow up to 8 feet tall. The fruits change color as they mature. You might find green, yellow and red peppers on the plant all at the same time.
While capsaicin is the active component that provides the heat in chiles, they are high in antioxidants, carotenoids and vitamin C. They also contain vitamins A, B6 and K1, potassium and copper.
Relatives in the same plant family include tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, tobacco and bell peppers. The versatile medicinal plant that we call popolo is another relative.
Poha, an edible, old-time kamaaina favorite, is also in the Solanaceae family. It likes cooler weather and more mauka conditions here in Hawaii.
We have Native Hawaiian relatives too: ohelo kai (Lycium sandwicense); Solanum nelsonii, and the aiea tree (Nothocestrum latifolium).
Not all Solanaceae species are edible; poisonous relatives include deadly nightshade and lei makers’ favorite, kikania, which is very abundant on Lanai. These grow on a thorny plant and look like big orange gum balls. Please don’t eat them!
Growing at home
Chile peppers are fairly easy to grow. You can grow them from fresh seeds, or you can buy a starter plant and grow them from there.
Make sure your soil drains well and has organic matter. Full sun is best for this, as for most flowering and fruiting plants. You can grow them in a big pot on your sunny lanai as well. They like daily water to grow and flourish, especially if grown in a pot.
My mom had a huge chile pepper bush. They were so pretty. Her plant grew next to her flower and vegetable garden that we called “the pond,” as it was a big old fishpond that we had filled in. As a keiki, I loved to pick flowers (still do!). But I learned a scary lesson when I picked some nioi fruit, and then absentmindedly rubbed my eyes. Ouch. Never again. Harvest them carefully, don’t touch your eyes or face and wash your hands — a good reminder during these COVID-19 times.
A local favorite
Most folks in Hawaii are familiar with Hawaiian chile peppers as the star ingredient of a popular local condiment: chile pepper water.
Years ago at a family luau up in Waimea on Hawaii island, my aunties adorned the tables with little jars of chile pepper water as gifts to take home. The gourmet aunties all had their favorite recipes and discussed it at length as we decorated the long tables. For months they had collected just the right size of baby food jars with lids.
I wish I had paid more attention to their recipes at the time. When you’re young, you think you have all the time in the world to learn how to really cook and learn at the side of your kupuna.
When my friend Art Suverkropp was in search of the BEST chile pepper water recipe, he said that ogo (seaweed) was the secret ingredient. His uncle had had an ono recipe, but it was never shared. Shucks.
Do any of our readers have a favorite recipe for chile pepper water?
Heidi Bornhorst is a sustainable landscape consultant specializing in native, xeric and edible gardens. Reach her at heidibornhorst@gmail.com.
