Amashito chilli: what it is, heat, taste and uses

What is it?

The amashito chilli is a wild chilli of south-east Mexico, especially typical of Tabasco, Chiapas and Veracruz. It is very small (1-1.5 cm), oval or oblong, bright green when young and intense red when ripe. It belongs to the species Capsicum annuum variety glabriusculum, the same as the chiltepin and the piquin, which confirms that it is one of the ancestral wild forms of Capsicum annuum. It grows wild or semi-cultivated in the scrubland and low forests of the south-east. Its heat is very high (30,000-50,000 Scoville units). It contributes a fresh, herbal, slightly citrusy flavour when fresh. It is used in raw Tabasco salsas, Chiapas pickles, chimole, salpicón and other preparations of the south-east where it provides a sharp, clean heat.

Origin and history

The amashito chilli is a wild chilli cultivated and gathered since pre-Hispanic times in south-east Mexico. Its name comes from the Nahuatl 'amaxtli', a small, spicy chilli mentioned in colonial sources. The Chontal, Chol, Zoque and Tzeltal communities have incorporated it into their everyday cuisine for centuries, gathering it from wild plants or sowing it in small family gardens. Larousse Cocina and Ricardo Muñoz Zurita's Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana identify it as a regional chilli of the south-east, equivalent to the piquin of the north-east and the chiltepin of the north-west. CONABIO documents the amashito as a regional variety of the ancestral wild forms of Capsicum annuum, with significant genetic value. SADER recognises it as a wild chilli of the south-east with potential for sustainable management. Its artisanal production and gathering sustains the economy of small indigenous communities of Tabasco, Chiapas and Veracruz, where it is an everyday ingredient.

Characteristic ingredients

The amashito belongs to Capsicum annuum variety glabriusculum, the ancestral wild form of many cultivated chillies. It is a perennial shrub with small leaves and abundant branching that produces tiny fruits (1-1.5 cm) over several months. The seeds are dispersed mainly by birds. The fruits are oval or oblong, bright green when young and intense red when ripe. Its pulp is very fine and its heat is very high (30,000-50,000 SHU), sharp and quick like the piquin. It contributes a fresh, herbal, slightly citrusy flavour, with notes of green herb and a fruity hint. It is used fresh and crushed in raw salsas (Tabasco salsa, amashito salsa), pickled in vinegar with onion and oregano (Chiapas pickle), or dried and ground as a spicy powder. It is an essential ingredient of chimole (a black Tabasco broth with achiote and spices) and of salpicón. It pairs very well with tomatillo, coriander, lime and red onion.

Cultural significance

The amashito chilli is an identity-bearing ingredient of south-east Mexican cuisine and forms part of the repertoire of traditional cuisine recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is an everyday chilli in Tabasco, where it appears in salsas, broths and typical dishes such as chimole, chirmole and grilled pejelagarto. In Chiapas it is used in pickles, artisanal chamoy and table salsas. Its production and gathering sustains the economy of indigenous Chontal, Chol, Zoque and Tzeltal communities of the south-east, mostly women and families who harvest it by hand during the season. SADER and CONABIO drive sustainable-management programmes to avoid the overexploitation of the wild populations. In contemporary cooking, chefs of the south-east such as Aquiles Chávez have taken the amashito into Tabasco fine dining. It remains one of the wild chillies with the greatest presence in the regional markets of the Gulf and south-east Mexico.

Frequently asked questions