Madame Jeanette is a very hot, fruity Capsicum chinense chilli from Suriname, crumpled and usually yellow, with a mango-like aroma. It is central to Surinamese cooking and sold across the Netherlands.
What it is¶
Madame Jeanette is a Capsicum chinense chilli from Suriname, on the northeast coast of South America. The pods are irregular and crumpled, sometimes elongated, sometimes squat and lobed, about 5–7 cm long, ripening from green to bright yellow or red. It is a close relative of the habanero and Scotch bonnet, with the same fruity C. chinense perfume, and similar heat: roughly 125,000–325,000 SHU, varying with the pod.
In Suriname it is the everyday hot chilli, and because of the long connection between Suriname and the Netherlands it is also one of the most familiar hot chillies in Dutch markets and supermarkets, often sold simply as madame jeanette in small packs next to the Thai bird's eyes.
Origins and history¶
C. chinense was domesticated in Amazonia and has been grown across northern South America and the Caribbean since long before European contact. Suriname was a Dutch colony from the seventeenth century until independence in 1975, and its cooking is a mix of the traditions of Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans and their descendants (Creole and Maroon communities), indentured labourers from India, Java and China, and Dutch settlers. The Madame Jeanette chilli runs through all of them.
The name is the subject of a well-known story: that the chilli was named after a Brazilian (in some tellings, Surinamese) woman of the night, for her fiery nature. The story is widely repeated and impossible to verify, and should be treated as folklore. Large-scale migration from Suriname to the Netherlands around independence brought the chilli, and Surinamese food, into the Dutch mainstream; Madame Jeanettes are now grown in Dutch greenhouses for the home market.
Flavour and aroma¶
Madame Jeanette tastes intensely of tropical fruit, often compared to mango and pineapple, with a floral, apricot-like note typical of its species. The heat builds quickly and strongly and lingers at the back of the throat. Yellow pods are usually described as the fruitiest; red ones are a little sweeter and rounder. Like the Scotch bonnet, it gives a dish perfume as well as fire, which is why cooks in Suriname often add it whole rather than chopped.
In the kitchen¶
- Whole in the pot: a whole pod, sometimes pierced once, simmered in a stew, soup or rice dish and lifted out before serving. This gives aroma and a controllable heat, and is the standard Surinamese method.
- Pom: the celebrated Surinamese oven dish of grated pomtajer (a tropical root) layered with chicken marinated in citrus, onion and tomato; Madame Jeanette is a key seasoning.
- Moksi alesi and bakabana: mixed rice with meat and beans, and plantain fritters served with a hot peanut sauce.
- Roti: the Surinamese Hindustani chicken curry with potatoes and long beans eaten with roti flatbread, finished with chilli.
- Sambal and pepper sauce: chopped with salt, onion and vinegar or lime into fresh sambals and bottled pepper sauces (pepre). See sambal and hot sauce.
- Dutch-Indonesian cooking: widely used in the Netherlands in place of fresh Indonesian chillies. See indonesian and malaysian cuisine.
💡 How hot is a whole one
A single whole, unbroken Madame Jeanette simmered for 20 minutes in a stew for four gives a warm glow and plenty of fruit. Split or chopped, the same pod makes the dish very hot. Taste before adding a second.
Wear gloves when chopping and wash hands and boards thoroughly afterwards. See handling chillies safely.
Buying and storing¶
Choose firm, glossy pods without soft or dark spots. Store unwashed in the fridge for one to two weeks. They freeze well whole, and can go straight from freezer to pot. Fresh pepper sauces made with vinegar keep for several weeks in the fridge.
Substitutes¶
- Scotch bonnet: the closest in shape, heat and fruitiness; swap one for one.
- Habanero: very similar heat and aroma.
- Fatalii: similar heat, more citrus.
- For much less heat with similar fruit: ají amarillo or ají dulce.
Pairs well with¶
Chicken, salt fish, prawns, rice, beans, plantain, peanuts, citrus, tomato, onion, garlic, allspice, thyme, celery seed, curry powder and coconut.
Growing your own¶
Madame Jeanette is grown like other C. chinense chillies and needs warmth: sow indoors in January–February at 25–30°C, in a heated propagator if possible, and be patient, as germination can take two to four weeks. Grow on in a greenhouse, conservatory or on a warm, bright windowsill; in the Netherlands and Britain they rarely ripen outdoors. Plants reach 60–100 cm and crop well from late summer. Feed with tomato fertiliser once flowering and let pods ripen fully yellow or red for the best flavour. Plants overwinter well indoors. See growing chillies and overwintering chillies.