Liberia

In Liberia, hot peppers are ubiquitous in smallholder fields and markets, with farmers growing Capsicum chinense types similar to West African “country pepper,” Scotch bonnet, and habanero, as well as bird’s eye and long red annuum chilies.

Country pepper—a local term for small, very hot chinense-like fruits—is a cornerstone of Liberian cooking. It flavours pepper soup, jollof rice, cassava-leaf stew, and palaver sauce. Fresh chilies are pounded with onion, garlic, and bouillon into spicy pastes served alongside rice and fish.

Scotch bonnet and habanero are also used in bottled hot sauces and seasonings. Women dominate production and trade of these peppers, selling fresh mounds and dried pods in markets.

While “country pepper” isn’t a single registered cultivar, this class of Liberian chinense-type chilies is regionally distinctive and extremely important to daily cuisine and income.