Serrano Tampiqueno Chilli Seeds

Serrano Tampiqueño Chilli Seeds. The Serrano Tampiqueño (C. Annuum) is a Mexican heirloom cultivar. Serrano translated from Spanish means highland or mountains. Serranos in general are said to originate from the highlands in the Puebla and Hildago regions of Mexico. Tampiqueño in the Spanish dictionary is a native of Tampico. Another meaning of Tampiqueño is also pertaining to or relating to this city, port of the State of Tamaulipas, in Mexico. Not much information exists as to their origins, but we surmise that Tampiqueño may relate to the East coast city of Tampico. Whatever the origins, this is a fantastic cultivar of Serrano to grow. Very characteristic Serrano plants that are easy to germinate and offer a no hassle get on and grow attitude. So, definitely a great cultivar to grow if you are new to growing chillies.

These chillies seem to prefer cool mornings and hot days, which ties in with their highland climates. So they do best early on in the season and in the tail end of the season when we experience cool mornings. Which means its would be good planning to get them started very early so they start fruiting early spring or wait for late summer when early morning temps drop.

Plants are small to medium with an expected max height of around 40 – 60cm. So great to go into soil, but also super to grow in pots and planters. The plants are quite delicate in their structure. Pendant shaped pods hang from the plant reaching a good 5 – 6cm in length. Pods ripen from a shiny dark green to a shiny brilliant red colour once fully ripened. Pods can be picked green or red, according to preference. What a delight these little pods are! Sweet, fruity and packed with a good little kick. These are definitely hotter than Jalapeños and will come in at a good 12,000 – 18,000 SHU, possibly higher. When picked green, they impart a lovely herbaceous flavour. Left to fully ripen, pods are softer, sweeter and have a delightful buttery texture to the centre of the pods.

What a multitude of uses for these gems… fresh, cooked, pickled, red, green, sauce, dried pods, powders… smoke them… the list is endless. In the kitchen these are absolute gems. Perfect for making Salsa/Pico Gallo. We absolutely love this little gem!