Peri-Peri Biltong: How Hot Is It, Really? (Scoville Numbers Inside)
PublishedPeri-peri biltong is biltong seasoned with the African bird's eye chilli, also called piri piri. That chilli is commonly rated at about 50,000 to 175,000 Scoville heat units, which can be several times hotter than cayenne. In practice, how hot a bag tastes depends far more on how much chilli the maker uses than on which chilli it is.
Texans have opinions about heat. So do South Africans, and ours are mostly wrong in the other direction: we call anything with a pinch of cayenne "hot" and then sweat through a braai. Here is the heat honestly measured, so you can pick a bag without a dare involved.
What is peri-peri?
Peri-peri (also piri piri or pili pili) is a small, fierce chilli grown across southern and eastern Africa. Botanically it is a cultivar of Capsicum frutescens, the same species as Tabasco peppers. Like every chilli it started life in the Americas, travelled with Portuguese traders, and found a permanent home in Mozambique, Angola and South Africa. So when people ask whether peri-peri is African or Indian, the honest answer is: American plant, Portuguese passport, African citizen.
In South Africa, "peri-peri" on a label usually means the chilli itself, and sometimes a blend that includes garlic, lemon and paprika. On biltong it nearly always means heat.
How hot is peri-peri on the Scoville scale?
| Chilli | Scoville heat units | Relative to a jalapeño |
|---|---|---|
| Jalapeño | 2,000 to 8,000 | Baseline |
| Cayenne | 25,000 to 50,000 | Several times hotter |
| Crushed red pepper flakes | Roughly 30,000 to 50,000 | Similar to cayenne |
| Peri-peri (African bird's eye) | 50,000 to 175,000 | Many times hotter |
| Habanero | 100,000 to 350,000 | The ceiling for most snacks |
Sources: University of Florida IFAS for jalapeño, cayenne and habanero; Wikipedia's Scoville scale for peri-peri. Ranges vary between sources because chillies vary between plants, seasons and farms.
Why does one bag taste hotter than another?
Scoville numbers rate the raw chilli. A bag of biltong is a different equation:
- How much chilli. The biggest factor by far. A light dusting of peri-peri can be milder than a heavy coat of cayenne.
- How thin the cut. More surface means more spice per bite, which is why chilli bites hit harder than sliced peri-peri biltong.
- Drying. As water leaves, everything concentrates: salt, beef and heat.
- Fat. A rim of fat softens the burn. Lean biltong lets it through.
- Your own tolerance. The variable no label can measure.
Which US brands make peri-peri biltong?
Several. Kalahari sells a Spicy Peri Peri biltong, Stryve has a Spicy Peri Peri sliced biltong, Brooklyn Biltong lists a peri-peri chili steak biltong, and Biltong USA lists a Wagyu Peri Peri. Most of these are sliced biltong with peri-peri in the cure. For a hotter, harder, thinner experience, look for chilli bites. The US sellers are listed in what are chilli bites.
How to choose your heat
- New to chilli biltong. Start with a chilli or peri-peri sliced biltong, not chilli bites. One piece, then wait a minute. Biltong heat builds.
- You put hot sauce on eggs. Chilli bites. Look for peri-peri or bird's eye on the ingredient list.
- You own a ghost pepper plant. Buy peri-peri biltong and add your own chilli flakes. Or make your own: chilli bites recipe.
How to put the fire out
Capsaicin dissolves in fat, not water, which is why a glass of water just spreads it around. Milk, yoghurt or anything with dairy fat works. A cold lager does not technically work but nobody has ever complained.
What does peri-peri biltong pair with?
A pale lager or a crisp Chenin Blanc from the Cape. Mango or pineapple on a board, because sweet fruit and chilli were made for each other. Sharp cheddar. Anything cold. Ideally a long afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
Is peri-peri biltong very hot?
It ranges from mild to very hot depending on how much chilli the maker uses. The peri-peri chilli itself is rated at about 50,000 to 175,000 Scoville heat units, hotter than cayenne.
Is peri-peri Indian or African?
Peri-peri is an African chilli. Like all chillies it originated in the Americas, but it was carried by Portuguese traders and became established in Mozambique, Angola and South Africa.
Is peri-peri hotter than cayenne?
Usually yes. Cayenne is rated at about 25,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units and peri-peri at about 50,000 to 175,000.
Are chilli bites hotter than peri-peri biltong?
Often. Chilli bites are cut thinner and coated with chilli on more surface, so each bite carries more heat than a slice of peri-peri biltong.
What helps when biltong is too spicy?
Dairy. Capsaicin, the compound that makes chilli hot, dissolves in fat, so milk or yoghurt cools the burn better than water.
Our chilli biltong, Hill Country Heat, is on the launch menu. We are not open yet, so the only way in early is a Founding 50 spot: $100 for a first-batch founder box of biltong. Questions go to cal@btbiltong.com.
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