Collection: New Zealand

New Zealand has a lively chili scene across both commercial horticulture and hobby growing. Growers produce jalapeño, serrano, cayenne, Hungarian wax, poblano, bird’s eye chili, habanero, Scotch bonnet, and a wide range of superhots like bhut jolokia, Trinidad Scorpion, and Carolina Reaper, mainly under plastic or in warm regions.

Most hot peppers are sold fresh domestically, with some dried, smoked, or turned into sauces, chili salts, and flakes. Imports of specialty dried chilies (ancho, guajillo, pasilla) and branded hot sauces remain important. Kiwi cuisine uses chilies in pan-Asian dishes, burgers, tacos, seafood, and Māori-inspired fusion; jalapeño and serrano are popular for salsas, while habanero and Scotch bonnet feature in island-style sauces.

A growing craft hot-sauce industry exports small-batch sauces made from NZ-grown superhots, leaning into fruity habanero notes, smoky chipotle-style products, and intense naga/Reaper heat.