Habanero Chocolate – Serious Heat with a Complex Flavour
What Is Habanero Chocolate?
Habanero Chocolate is one of the most popular chocolate-coloured habanero varieties. It offers an intense heat with a complex, smoky and earthy flavour – ideal for hot sauces and powder blends.
Background and Name
This variety is believed to originate in the Caribbean, where selective breeding produced the brown form of the habanero. It is much appreciated by sauce makers and hobby growers.
Appearance and Growth Habit
The plants are vigorous, about 80–100 cm tall. The pods are medium-sized and ripen from green to deep chocolate brown. The skin is slightly wrinkled and the pod feels heavy for its size.
How Hot Is Habanero Chocolate?
Around 300,000–450,000 SHU
Flavour and Uses
Smoky, spicy, a little sweet and very hot. The flavour develops nicely in long cooking or when dried. Common in Caribbean jerk, BBQ sauce and as chilli powder.
Ways to Use Habanero Chocolate
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Make a classic jerk marinade
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Blend into a BBQ sauce with rum or beer
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Dry to a dark chilli powder with depth
How to Grow Habanero Chocolate
Habanero Chocolate belongs to Capsicum chinense. Sow your chilli seeds between January and March. It grows best in heat and sun – ideal for greenhouse growing.
A chilli for anyone who loves bold flavour and a long afterburn.
Price is for 6 chilli seeds
Sow in moist seed compost and keep warm, at about 25–30°C for the best germination. The compost should be moist but not wet. A mini propagator helps to keep the humidity up. Once the seedlings have grown a little and have their second pair of leaves, you can lower the temperature to about 20°C and move them out of the propagator. They do well on a sunny windowsill, in a greenhouse and outdoors in summer. For best results, soak the seeds in Growhelper for 12–24 hours before sowing.
