Thai chilis are also known as bird’s eye chilis. They are very small and slender and can be both green and red. They are very spicy- a little goes a long way. They have a rating of 50,000 – 100,000 on the Scoville heat scale. This is about 10x spicier than a jalapeno, and about 8x spicier than a serrano! They are less hot than habaneros by about a third. I am a spicy food monster and I usually only use 1-3 in a recipe. The green ones will light you up immediately and the red ones will provide more of a slow burn. Both have fruity flavors, with the green ones being a little more “citrus-y”. The green ones are considered “unripe” but are still edible and very spicy. The red ones are considered “matured”.
Thai chilis (bird’s eye chilis) are a staple in Southeast Asian cuisine. You can use a green or red Thai chili interchangeably in any recipe; although typically green curry dishes will utilize the green peppers and red curry dishes will utilize the red ones.
supermarket to buy mine. They can be found in the produce section, often in the refrigerated
area. My store only sells them in large bags, but fortunately they freeze very well. There will be
some texture loss but that shouldn’t affect the quality of your dish. To freeze, simply place in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then you can throw them in a freezer safe bag and store them for 6 months to a year. If stored longer, they will still be safe to eat but will become less spicy with time.
