Norfolk Island

On Norfolk Island, hot peppers are grown at household scale in kitchen gardens, often alongside herbs and vegetables. Islanders cultivate generic bird’s eye chili, long green chilies, jalapeño, and occasional habanero or Scotch bonnet, all from Australian or New Zealand seed stocks.

The peppers are used to enliven fish, eggs, and meat dishes, often in simple relishes of chopped chili, onion, and vinegar or in homemade chutneys. There is no commercial chili industry; restaurants and shops rely largely on imported fresh chilies and bottled sauces. The flavour profile is dominated by clean, fresh heat from bird’s eye and cayenne-type chilies, supporting a small but enthusiastic home-preserving culture.