Kiribati

In Kiribati’s low-lying Pacific atolls, hot peppers are grown in small home and village gardens, typically in raised beds or containers due to poor soils. Common types include bird’s eye chili, long green chilies similar to cayenne, and occasionally habanero introduced via regional trade.

Production is small-scale and subsistence-oriented. Chilies season fish dishes, including raw fish in coconut milk, where finely chopped bird’s eye chilies provide heat alongside lime. Simple relishes of chili, onion, and vinegar or coconut sap accompany breadfruit, taro, and rice.

There is no formal pepper industry or Kiribati-specific named cultivar; most peppers are generic bird’s eye–type or imported annuum varieties adapted informally. Imported dried chilies and bottled sauces from Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand supplement local production, especially in urban centres like South Tarawa.