Piri-piri

These are very hot small red chillies from the former Portuguese colony of Angola. Molho de piri-piri, piri-piri sauce and the Portuguese equivalent of Tabasco, is found on every café and kitchen table in Portugal, where it is used liberally on everything from chips to green vegetables.

Piri-piris are closely related to the Mexican chili pequin, which in Brazil was renamed the malaguéta. This was taken by the Portuguese colonials across to Angola, where it acquired its African name, and from there back home to Portugal.