{{short description|Chili pepper cultivar}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Use Philippine English|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox cultivar | name = 'Siling Labuyo' | image = Capsicum 'Siling Labuyo' (Mindanao, Philippines) 2.jpg | image_caption = 'Siling Labuyo' pepper. The small triangular fruits of ''siling labuyo'' are distinctively borne pointing upwards, like other ''Capsicum frutescens'' cultivars. | genus = ''Capsicum'' | species = ''Capsicum frutescens'' | cultivar = 'Siling Labuyo' | module = {{Infobox pepper | embed = yes | heat= Very hot | scoville = 80,000 - 100,000 }} }} thumb|Siling labuyo at a Philippine supermarket '''''Siling labuyo''''' is a small chili pepper cultivar that developed in the Philippines after the Columbian Exchange. It belongs to the species ''Capsicum frutescens'' and is characterized by triangular fruits that grow pointing upwards.<ref name=DeWitt>{{cite book|author1=DeWitt, D. |author2=Bosland, P.W. |year=2009|title=The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener's Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking|publisher=Timber Press|isbn=978-0881929201}}</ref> The fruits and leaves are used in traditional Philippine cuisine. The fruit is pungent, ranking at 80,000 to 100,000 heat units in the Scoville scale.<ref name="scov2018">{{cite web |title=2018 Scoville Scale: Ultimate List of Pepper's & Their Scoville Heat Units |url=https://chasingchilli.com.au/scoville-scale/ |website=Chasing Chilli |access-date=September 22, 2018}}</ref>
The cultivar name is Tagalog, and literally translates to "wild chili."<ref name=DeWitt/> It is also known simply as '''''labuyo''''' or '''''labuyo'' chili'''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Loresco |first1=Shadz |title='Superhots' spicing up PH chili industry |url=https://www.rappler.com/business/99021-superhots-good-commercial-opportunity-philippines/ |website=Rappler |date=July 11, 2015 |access-date=September 22, 2018}}</ref> Thai bird's eye chili are commonly confused with labuyo in the Philippines, though they are cultivars of two different species, and much larger fruit.<ref name="pepsc">{{cite web |title=Siling Labuyo: The Filipino Bird's Eye |website=PepperScale|date=April 30, 2017|url=https://www.pepperscale.com/siling-labuyo/ }}</ref> ''Siling labuyo'' is one of two common kinds of local chili found in the Philippines, the other being ''siling haba'' (a ''Capsicum annuum'' cultivar).<ref name="Frial-McBride">{{cite journal|last1=Frial-McBride|first1=Mary Grace|title=Extraction of resins from ''Capsicum annuum'' var. longum (''Siling haba'') for the study of their potential anti-microbial activities|journal=Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research|date=2016|volume=8|issue=3|pages=117–127|s2cid=41092438|url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/146a/44e428a358dbf1fcadefcbf44c69b3b37e17.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324162208/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/146a/44e428a358dbf1fcadefcbf44c69b3b37e17.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 24, 2018|access-date=March 24, 2018|issn=0975-7384}}</ref>
''Siling labuyo'' is generally accepted as the world's smallest hot pepper, as the fruit often measures a mere {{convert|0.20|in|cm|abbr=on}} in length by {{convert|0.10|in|cm|abbr=on}} in width.<ref name="World's Smallest Pepper">{{cite web |title=The World's Smallest Hot Pepper |url=https://www.boopolo.com/2019/02/24/the-worlds-smallest-hot-pepper/ |website=Boopolo |access-date=March 22, 2021}}</ref>
It is listed in the Ark of Taste international catalog of endangered heritage foods of the Philippines by the Slow Food movement.<ref name="slow food">{{cite web |title=Siling Labuyo |url=https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/siling-labuyo-2/ |website=Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity |access-date=December 19, 2018}}</ref>
==Taxonomy and names== ''Siling labuyo'' is officially known under the cultivar name ''Capsicum frutescens'' 'Siling labuyo'. It belongs to the species ''Capsicum frutescens''. Related cultivars of siling labuyo include tabasco, malagueta, and peri-peri.<ref name=DeWitt/>
The common name "wild chili" is derived from the Tagalog words ''sili'' ("chili") and the enclitic suffix ''-ng'', as well as the adjective ''labuyo'' ("growing wild"), which is also a term for wild chicken or junglefowl).<ref name=DeWitt/><ref name="td">{{cite web |title=labuyo |url=https://www.tagalog-dictionary.com/search?word=labuyo |website=Tagalog-Dictionary.com |access-date=February 4, 2019}}</ref> Other local names for it include ''chileng bundok'', ''siling palay'', ''pasitis'', ''pasite'' (Tagalog); ''katumbal'', ''kutitot'', ''siling kolikot'' (Bisaya); ''katumba'' or ''lara jangay'' (Tausug); ''sili ti diablo/sairo'' (Ilocano); ''lada'', ''sambalas'', ''rimorimo'', ''sanggariya'' (Bikol); ''paktin'' (Ifugao); and ''luya tiduk'' (Maranao).<ref name="bpi">[http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/medicinalplant_s.php ''Capsicum Frutescens'' Linn. Sileng-Labuyo]</ref>
==Description== thumb|A mature ''siling labuyo'' bush Like other ''Capsicum frutescens'' cultivars, ''siling labuyo'' has a compact habit, growing between {{cvt|0.8|and|1.5|m}} high. They have smooth ovate to lanceolate leaves that are around {{cvt|2.5|in|0|disp=flip}} in length with pointed tips. They produce small greenish-white flowers with purple stamens. These develop into a large number of small, tapering fruits that are around {{cvt|25|mm|0}} in length. The fruits are very pungent and are characteristically borne erect (pointing upwards). Immature fruits are deep green in color and usually ripen to a vivid red. Depending on maturity and the variety, they can display a range of other colors, including yellow, orange, white, or a vivid purple. Flowers and fruits are often clustered in groups of 2 to 3 at a node.<ref name=DeWitt/><ref name="stx">{{cite web|url=http://www.stuartxchange.org/SilingLabuyo.html|title=Siling-labuyo|publisher=Philippine Medicinal Plants|access-date=February 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.da.gov.ph/images/PDFFiles/FarmingTips/HighValueCrops/HotPepper.pdf |title=Hot pepper |access-date=June 3, 2014 |publisher=Republic of Philippines, Department of Agriculture |archive-date=September 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923212234/http://www.da.gov.ph/images/PDFFiles/FarmingTips/HighValueCrops/HotPepper.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Taculao">{{cite news |last1=Taculao |first1=Patricia Bianca S. |title=The color purple: Siling labuyo blooms in another bright color |url=https://www.agriculture.com.ph/2019/11/16/the-color-purple-siling-labuyo-blooms-in-another-bright-color/ |access-date=January 10, 2022 |work=Agriculture Monthly |date=November 16, 2019}}</ref>
''Siling labuyo'' fruits are small but are very hot. They measures around 80,000-100,000 Scoville units, similar to the lower end of the range for the hotter habanero chili.<ref name="scov2018"/>
==Ingredient in cooking== Although not as central in Filipino cuisine as bird's eye chilies are in other cuisines of Southeast Asia, it is still an often-used ingredient. Its leaves are usually consumed as a vegetable, such as in dishes like ''tinola''.<ref name=DeWitt/><ref name="bar">Nagpala, Ellaine Grace. (2007). [http://experiencecatanduanes.blogspot.ca/2008/03/fresh-look-at-siling-labuyo.html A fresh look at siling labuyo]. ''BAR Chronicle'' 8(10). Retrieved October 22, 2009.</ref>
The most common use of ''siling labuyo'', however, is in dipping sauces (''sawsawan''), which almost universally accompany fried or grilled Filipino dishes. Unlike in western cuisines, these dipping sauces are created by the diner according to their preferences and are not made beforehand. ''Siling labuyo'' is almost always offered as an optional spicy element, alongside calamansi, soy sauce, vinegar, and patis (Filipino fish sauce).<ref name="Ponseca">{{cite web |last1=Ponseca |first1=Nicole |last2=Trinidad |first2=Miguel |title=Filipino-Style Spiced Vinegar |url=https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/filipino-spiced-vinegar-pinakurat |website=epicurious |access-date=January 10, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=PINAY LIFESTYLE: Filipino dishes not complete without the "sawsawan" (dips) - The Complete "Sawsawan" Guide: Bulacan, Philippines |url=https://filipinawomensnetwork.org/epahayagan/the-complete-sawsawan-guide-bulakan-philippines |website=Filipina Women's Network |date=March 19, 2015 |access-date=January 10, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A Guide to Filipino Sawsawan (Dipping Sauces) |url=https://primer.com.ph/tips-guides/2019/06/13/a-guide-to-filipino-sawsawan-dipping-sauces/ |website=Primer |access-date=January 10, 2022}}</ref>
''Siling labuyo'' is also an essential ingredient in ''palapa'', a sweet and spicy condiment made with scallions, coconut, ginger, and turmeric that is central to the cuisine of the Maranao people.<ref name="pfi">{{cite web |last1=Polistico |first1=Edgie |title=Palapa |url=https://pinoyfoodillustrated.blogspot.com/2012/12/palapa.html |website=Philippine Food Illustrated |date=December 23, 2012 |access-date=March 5, 2019}}</ref><ref name="santos">{{cite news |last1=Santos |first1=Kara |title=Home > Life Maranao condiment 'palapa' offers recipe for hope |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/life/09/27/18/maranao-condiment-palapa-offers-recipe-for-hope |access-date=March 5, 2019 |work=ABS-CBN News |date=September 27, 2018}}</ref>
''Siling labuyo'' can also used to make Filipino-style spiced vinegar (like ''sinamak'' and ''sukang pinakurat'') which is also used as a dipping sauce. Instead of mixing fresh chilis on the table, the vinegar itself is infused with a large amount of ''siling labuyo'' and other spices and stored in bottles or mason jars. They can be kept for long periods in the refrigerator and their taste develops with time.<ref name="Ponseca"/> {{gallery |width=150 |height=110 |File:Cagayan de Oro sawsawan (dipping sauce) ingredients - Calamansi and Siling labuyo.jpg|Labuyo chilis and calamansi, ingredients for (''sawsawan'') |File:Home-made sinamak (Visayan spiced vinegar) with siling labuyo.jpg|''Sinamak'', a Filipino spiced vinegar, is made by preserving ''siling labuyo'' and other spices in sugarcane or palm vinegar |File:Palapa (Philippines).jpg|''Palapa'', a sweet and spicy condiment |File:3248Cuisine foods and delicacies Bulacan 30.jpg|Edible leaves of ''siling labuyo'' |File:275Food cuisine of Bulacan delicacies 13.jpg|''Suam na asuhos'' (whiting soup) with ''siling labuyo'' and ''malunggay'' leaves and ''misua'' noodles |File:Tinolang Manok.jpg|Chicken ''tinola'' with ''siling labuyo'' leaves }}
==Natural pesticide use== Siling labuyo can be used as a natural pesticide on crops in the Philippines. The fruit, skin and seeds of siling labuyo are all effective for ants, aphids, caterpillars, Colorado beetle, cabbage worms, warehouse and storage pests.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Taculao |first=Patricia Bianca s. |date=2019-06-01 |title=Create an organic pepper spray using 'siling labuyo' |work=Manila Bulletin |url=https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/manila-bulletin/20190601/281891594760970 |access-date=2023-12-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/383408/Local-News/Siling-labuyo-More-than-a-hot-spice|title = Siling labuyo: More than a hot spice| website=SunStar |date = December 16, 2014}}</ref>
==Commonly confused cultivars== Several introduced chili cultivars are increasingly being mislabeled as "siling labuyo" in Philippine markets (especially in Luzon), because these cultivars are generally easier to grow and harvest than ''siling labuyo.'' Their color and shape are also more consistent and they have a longer shelf life, but they are regarded as less spicy than ''siling labuyo''.<ref name=DeWitt/><ref name=Salcedo/><ref name="casav">{{cite web|url=http://casaveneracion.com/correction-siling-labuyo-not-birds-eye-chili/|title=Correction: "siling labuyo" is not the same as bird's eye chili|author=Connie Veneracion|date=January 16, 2016|publisher=CasaVeneracion|access-date=February 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sili - Philippine Chilis |url=https://clovegarden.com/ingred/cp_philz.html |website=Clovegarden - an International Food Site |access-date=January 10, 2022}}</ref>
These mislabeled cultivars include the red bird's eye chili ("Thai chili"), which is actually a chili pepper cultivar from a different species (''Capsicum annuum'') that came by way of Thailand. Their fruits, unlike ''C. frutescens'', are borne on the plant drooping down.<ref name="pepsc"/> In Luzon, ''siling tingala'' and ''siling tari'', high-yield F1 hybrids of ''C. frutescens'' and ''C. annuum'' from Taiwan are also commonly sold as ''siling labuyo''. While they have ''C. frutescens'' ancestry (the fruits are also borne somewhat erect), they are much longer and uniformly red, similar to Thai bird's eye chilis.<ref name="Salcedo">{{cite web |last=Salcedo |first=Margaux |author-link=Margaux Salcedo |date=July 31, 2016 |title=Slow Food campaign kicks into high gear in PH |url=https://business.inquirer.net/212701/slow-food-campaign-kicks-into-high-gear-in-ph |access-date=February 27, 2019 |website=Inquirer Business}}</ref> {{gallery |width=150 |height=110 |title=Chili cultivars commonly mislabeled as labuyo chili |File:0201jfFilipino cuisine foods desserts breads Landmarks Bulacanfvf 27.jpg|''Siling tingala'', a hybrid commonly mislabeled as ''siling labuyo'' in Luzon markets |File:9656Calasag, San Ildefonso, Bulacan 31.jpg|''Siling tari'', named after cockfighting spurs (''tari''), due to the direction of fruit growth. It is also commonly mislabeled as ''siling labuyo'' in markets. }}
==See also== * Siling haba * Sili ice cream * List of ''Capsicum'' cultivars
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Commonscat-inline|Capsicum frutescens 'Siling Labuyo'}}
{{Capsicum cultivars}}
Category:Spices Category:Chili peppers Category:Medicinal plants Category:Capsicum cultivars Category:Filipino cuisine