Chilli are made up of three general groups of chilli

• Habanero-type chillies: Habanero chillies range in heat from very mild with hardly any noticeable heat to super-hot. They have a lovely fruity aroma that adds a very distinctive flavour to many dishes such as salsas and chilli sauces.

• Vegetable-type chillies: These chillies are often quite large-fruited and can have very thick flesh, they tend to be milder and with less heat than the other types of chilli. They are used in much the same way as sweet peppers and taste wonderful stuffed or chopped.

• Hot-type chillies: These have generally a much smaller pod (fruit) with a much thinner fleshed and are much hotter than the vegetable type chillies. They are used to add heat to dishes and are ideal for drying and milling into chilli powder.

Chillies are native to tropical America, and are widely cultivated. They grow best in moist soils and bright sunlight.