Biquinho Seeds

Sweet Little Drop

Red Biquinho is one of those chillies that’s almost impossible not to fall for. It comes from Brazil, where it’s grown as much for its beauty as for its flavour, and the name literally means “little beak”—a perfect description of the glossy, teardrop-shaped pods.

The plants themselves grow into a neat, compact bush that seems to spend all summer covered in flowers and fruit. If you like chillies that stay small but produce heavily, this one is hard to beat.

From seed, Biquinho germinates reliably and grows into a surprisingly sturdy plant with tight branching and a naturally tidy shape. Even in a pot it will produce dozens and dozens of fruit. As they ripen from pale green to bright, lacquered red, the plant looks almost ornamental, and you’ll find yourself picking handfuls at a time.

The flavour is what makes this chilli so addictive. Biquinho Red is almost heatless, usually somewhere around 500 to 1,000 SHU, so it’s safe to eat raw in generous amounts.

The pods are juicy, slightly sweet and wonderfully fresh-tasting, with a tiny prickle of warmth that never overwhelms anything. They’re brilliant on salads, eggs, sandwiches and pizzas—simply slice and scatter.

In Brazil, they’re often pickled or fermented and eaten straight from the jar like olives, which suits them perfectly. If you’re thinking of trying fermentation for the first time, this is one of the easiest varieties to start with.

Grow one plant and you’ll have more than enough fruit for fresh eating, preserving and a couple of jars of your own.

If you’d rather skip the seed stage, I also grow Red Biquinho plug plants, ready to pot on and get going quickly.