Malagueta pepper

Lore & Background

The first Europeans to encounter this species likely did so in Brazil or elsewhere in South America, as Capsicum frutescens is native to that region, not the Caribbean. The ancient inhabitants of the Americas used it as a delicacy, natural dye, and medicine. The Portuguese, seeking substitutes for black pepper, named the chili after the African melegueta pepper due to its piquancy. During the Columbian exchange, Portuguese navigators took malagueta to Portugal, Brazil, Africa, and Asia, where it became integrated into local cuisines.

Reader's Guide

Malagueta pepper holds significance as a key chili in the Portuguese-speaking world and the Caribbean, bridging Old World and New World spice traditions. Its name, borrowed from the unrelated melegueta pepper, reflects the historical search for pepper substitutes during the age of exploration. The pepper spread rapidly after its introduction to Europe, becoming a staple in cuisines from Brazil to India, Thailand, and China. In São Tomé and Príncipe, it is used to make piri-piri sauce, a common condiment. In Borba, Amazonas, Brazil, it is used in folk practices to ward off the evil eye. Botanical and culinary writers sometimes confuse it with melegueta pepper due to the similar names.

Did You Know?

• Smaller malagueta peppers are called malaguetinha in Brazil and piri piri in Mozambique and Portugal.
• In Borba, Amazonas, Brazil, malagueta pepper is used to ward off the evil eye.