Pepper, Ciliegia Piccante, Bacio di Satana "Satan's Kiss" (Spicy Cherry) AVAILABLE NOW!
Italian Heirloom Pepper "Ciliegia Piccante" Bacio di Satana Satan's Kiss.Mid-Early. Hot Variety. This variety produces round red Cherry type hot peppers which are 2" in diameter and turn red when ripe. It's a solid tasty, fleshy pepper that is ideal for stuffing and preserving. The plant is compact with good foliage. The less fertile the soil the hotter the pepper. Use fresh or to pickle or dry. They make beautiful red pepper garlands. 65 days green 85 days to red. Suitable for container gardening.
A very good stuffing chilli, superb filled with mozzarella and anchovies and placed under the grill. Chilli Peppers The first chillies to reach Europe arrived around 1493 as a result of Colombus's voyages to the Americas. People don't always associate chillies with Italy, but they have a deep-rooted place in our culture, especially in the south. From the time that the Romans were trading throughout their empire, Italy has always been a melting pot of different races and cultures from all over Europe and the Middle East, and even the Far East. So it is no surprise that chillies are much favored in Sicily and the south of Italy in particular, where there was a strong Arab influence. For example, dishes like Spaghetti alla Puttanesca come from Campagna, Peperoncini Ripieni from Calabria and Cima di Rape al Peperoncino from Puglia.
The Satan’s Kiss pepper (a.k.a. Baccio de Satana) has a playful look: small and round, cherry pepper-like. But its name should give you some warning there’s something hidden behind its cute facade. Yes, this Italian heirloom pepper as has a surprising punch for its size, rivaling a cayenne pepper in heat. And while there’s not much nuance beyond the spiciness here, it’s normally served stuffed with mozzarella or anchovies where another flavor stars aside the heat.
The Satan’s Kiss is also known as Ciliegia Piccante (Spicy Cherry) and it’s a very fitting name as well. It looks much like a small tomato or cherry pepper, tiny and round. They’re about one to two inches wide (think the size of a golf ball) and mature from green to red, gaining in heat along the way.
It’s not a stretch to call these chilies “cute”, but upon first bite the Satan’s Kiss punches back and not in a cute way. This pepper is spicy – a cayenne level of spice (more on that below) that surprises most that taste this chili for the first time. But there’s not much beyond the spiciness beyond a pleasant peppery taste.
Satan’s Kiss peppers can be used like most chilies fresh to provide a pop of heat – sliced for salads, diced for soups, or chopped for salsas just to name a few use cases. They are also delicious as a pickled pepper, but not quite as popular as another Italian pepper for pickling – the very mild pepperoncini. The traditional use of the Satan’s Kiss is as a stuffed pepper. These chilies are typically stuffed with mozzarella, anchovies, or cream cheese. It’s the pairing of the Satan’s Kiss with another flavor that provides a real boost to the overall taste of the pepper (beyond the heat).
Let’s break down the Satan’s Kiss cayenne-level punch by comparing it to our jalapeño reference point. Compared to a jalapeño pepper (2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units or SHU), the Satan’s Kiss is five to twenty-five times hotter (40,000 to 50,000 SHU). Even compared to a cayenne, the Satan’s Kiss will be on average hotter as its floor in terms of heat is higher than a cayenne’s (30,000 – 50,000 SHU). This a no-doubt level of pop, hotter than comfortable for many eaters, particularly because you don’t expect it.
From a Customer.... Devil's Kiss indeed. These are hard to find seeds and I was thrilled to find them here. The seeds germinate well and the plants are vigorous and productive. The heat is significant; about 25% hotter than most cayenne. I dry them in the dehydrator for peperoncino flakes. Worth the effort!
Approximately 150 seeds.