HotPepperIndex
Capsicum annuum

Broome Chilli

Broome, Western Australia, Australia
Medium
Also known asAustralian Broome Chilli · Broome Pepper · Aussie Broome Chilli
Scoville
0SHU
Heat0%
3k–5k SHU · Hippy Seed Company and Chili-Shop24 product listings

The Broome Chilli is a rare Australian Capsicum annuum cultivar from Western Australia, known for its unique sour grape-like flavor and medium heat of 2,500-5,000 SHU. Elongated pods ripen from dark green to bright red with a distinctive stem-first color change. It offers a crunchy texture and is popular in Australian cuisine for its untamed, rugged profile.

The Broome Chilli, also known as Australian Broome Chilli, is a distinctive Capsicum annuum variety originating from the rugged landscapes of Western Australia near Broome, though some accounts trace its roots to Darwin. This rare cultivar stands out for its elongated, nearly rectangular pods that measure approximately 7-10 cm in length and 2.5-3 cm in width, often featuring a snub nose or pointed tip. The plants are bushy, reaching 50-90 cm in height, and produce a good yield of pods with thick, shiny, crunchy skins and juicy flesh. Ripening is unique, beginning at the stem end and progressing to a vibrant shiny red from the initial dark green stage, sometimes with striking transitional hues. Flavor is exceptionally unusual for a chili, delivering a lightly sour grape note with crisp, tangy, and slightly bitter or fruity undertones that evoke an unripe grape or green capsicum, paired with an untamed and rugged character. Heat builds quickly and lingers moderately, making it versatile for those seeking flavor over extreme burn. It excels in fresh applications like salsas, stir-fries, and direct chopping over dishes, as well as in sauces, pickling, grilling, stuffing, and drying. Easy to grow in warm conditions with full sun and well-draining soil, it thrives in pots or gardens and tolerates heat well. Its Australian heritage adds an outback-inspired twist to international recipes.

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Backstory

A rare Australian Capsicum annuum cultivar named after the town of Broome in Western Australia, though some sources link its origins to Darwin. Celebrated for its distinctive ripening pattern and unusual grape-like flavor in local outback-inspired cuisine.

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Flavor

Lightly sour grape flavour that is very unusual for a chili, with crisp crunchy texture, tangy notes, and an untamed rugged character reminiscent of unripe grape or green capsicum.

sourgrape-likefruitycrisptangy

Culinary uses

fresh in salsas and stir-friessaucespicklinggrillingstuffingdrying

Q&A

Appearance

Skin
thick, crunchy, shiny
Color
dark green ripening to bright shiny red
Flesh
juicy
Shape
elongated rectangular or oblong with snub nose or pointed tips
Width
2.5-3 cm
Length
7-10 cm

Growing

Sun
full sun, at least 6 hours
Soil
well-draining, fertile, mildly acidic to neutral pH 6.1-7.5
Notes
bushy plants, suitable for containers and pots, easy to grow, late maturing, good producer
Water
regular, avoid waterlogging
Temperature
warm climates, thrives in heat
Plant height
50-90 cm
Days to maturity
80-90

Origin detail

Region
Western Australia
Country
Australia

Tags

australianmedium-heatgrape-flavorcrunchyrareannuum

Sources

Huge shout-out to the breeders, growers, researchers, and seed savers linked below — their independent work is what lets us fact-check our own. Go visit them.

These references are used to verify what we publish — not as the source of the content itself. Seed catalogs, breeder pages, research papers, and cultivar databases let us cross-check every fact before it lands here. Open any card to read the original or dig deeper.

3 sources · 8 searches · Added May 17, 2026, 18:08 UTC
Origins
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