Cook Islands

In the Cook Islands, hot peppers grow in small gardens and family plots, with common varieties including bird’s eye chili, long green chilies similar to cayenne, and occasionally habanero or Scotch bonnet introduced via regional trade. Agriculture is mostly subsistence plus small-scale market gardening; there is no specialized chili export sector.

Chiles season ika mata (raw fish in coconut cream) when diners want extra heat, as well as taro leaf stews, chop suey-style dishes, and grilled or fried fish. Simple relishes of chopped bird’s eye chili, onion, and lime juice accompany seafood and root crops like taro and cassava. Some households make chili-vinegar sauces or mix peppers into soy-based condiments influenced by New Zealand and Asian cuisines.

Though unnamed local selections exist, most chilies are generic bird’s eye–type or imported annuum cultivars adapted to the tropical Pacific environment, important for flavour rather than trade.