The Bishop's Crown chili has a shape you won't forget anytime soon. Its fruits resemble a bishop's mitre or bell – and that's exactly why it's also known as bell chili. The pods usually have three sides, each tapering to a round tip. This creates this unique, bell-shaped chili pod that leaves hardly anyone indifferent.
You surely know this: You see a chili for the first time and are simply amazed. With the Bishop's Crown, this happens to everyone. And after the first bite, this amazement immediately turns into admiration. That's exactly the kind of experience that true chili lovers live for.
Table of Contents
- Bishop's Crown: The Bishop's Mitre Chili
- Capsicum baccatum: South American Culture
- 4,500 Years of History: From Incas to Today
- Heat Level & Flavor
- Processing: Salsa, Powder & More
- The Bishop's Crown Plant
- Cultivation & Growing
- Container & Substrate
- Harvest & Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions about Bishop's Crown
Bishop's Crown: The Bishop's Mitre Chili
Flavor-wise, the Bishop's Crown chili scores with a pronounced paprika note and is suitable for countless dishes. The pods are thin to medium-fleshy and have a diameter of 3 to 4 cm – handy, versatile, and absolutely delicious.
The Growth Form is Impressive
Compared to other chilies, this plant grows quickly to an impressive height. No bushy growth form here – the Bishop's Crown grows like a tree upward. As a mature Capsicum baccatum plant, it reaches nearly two meters and often has a stem of 1.5 meters in length. At the top, it branches out into an expansive, impressive crown.
Worldwide Cultivation
Today, hobby growers and farmers worldwide cultivate this variety. Its origin lies in Barbados, where the chili grows both cultivated and wild. The Bishop's Crown belongs to the same species as the Ají varieties – a fact that positions it high up in the chili family tree.
Capsicum baccatum: South American Culture
Capsicum baccatum belongs to the most exciting chili genera of all. Plants of this species often grow over two meters tall. The name "Baccatum" derives from the berry-like fruits of this nightshade plant – named by the famous botanist Carl Linnaeus, who introduced the systematic designation of plants.
Identifying Feature: The Characteristic Bloom
You can easily distinguish Baccatum varieties from other chilies by their bloom: a characteristic white-greenish flower is the unmistakable feature. When you see the Bishop's Crown bloom for the first time, you'll recognize it immediately – the white with green tinge is very characteristic.
4,500 Years of History: From Incas to Today
South American advanced civilizations already valued this variety extraordinarily. In Peru and Bolivia, excavations prove that Capsicum baccatum varieties were already cultivated around 2,500 BC – about 4,500 years ago, right in the territory of the Incas and Aztecs.
This is no ordinary chili. This is a chili with real history, with continuity spanning millennia. When you grow and harvest a Bishop's Crown, you're participating in a tradition that's older than the Roman Empire.
Heat Level & Flavor
Ripe bell chilies reach between 5,000 and 30,000 Scoville. That sounds like a lot, but compared to modern super-hots, it's moderate.
Heat in Detail
The pods are rather mild to medium-hot. The heat level is about 3 to 5 on a scale of 1–10 – ideal for anyone who wants fruity kick with pleasant heat. But be careful: this can vary from fruit to fruit. The plant, location, and growing conditions play a role.
The Aroma Makes the Difference
Besides the pleasant heat, the sweet and fruity flavor convinces. A tart paprika aroma makes the Bishop's Crown chili perfect for seasoning vegetables and salads. This is a real treat for chili lovers – not aggressively hot, but elegantly complex.
Processing: Salsa, Powder & More
Bishop's mitre chilies taste best fresh – that's clear. But their distinctive paprika aroma also makes them interesting for salsas, salads, chili powder, and pickled items. So you have plenty of opportunities to experiment with this variety.
Salsa: Quick and Elegant
A salsa is quickly made – ideal for the next football game with chips. Thanks to the bell pepper, it gets exactly the right aroma: fruity, slightly spicy, irresistible.
Simple Recipe: Chop one onion and one garlic clove small, put in blender with a can of tomatoes. Add Bishop's Crown chilies and blend briefly. Season with salt, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and cumin. Pulse a few more times – your salsa is ready. Try it, you'll be thrilled!
Chili Powder: Intense & Aromatic
When drying, the intense paprika flavor of the Bishop's Crown becomes even stronger – making it one of the best chili varieties for chili powder with medium heat.
You can dry the pods in the oven, even easier is using a dehydrator. For those who harvest many pods, investing in a dehydrator is really worth it. After drying, the chilies are processed into fine powder in a mortar or coffee grinder – and you have a spice that no store can easily beat.
Pickled Items & Vegetables
Bishop's Crown chilies are perfect for pickling in vinegar or for seasoning vegetable preserves. The shape remains beautifully preserved and the aroma intensifies even more.
The Bishop's Crown Plant
Growing bishop's mitre chilies is absolutely worth it. This becomes clear quickly when you see the plant in full splendor for the first time. It's not only noticeable because of the unique chili form – its growth form is also impressive.
Growth Characteristics
This perennial chili easily reaches a height of 1.5 to 1.8 meters in the first year alone. It loves warm weather with high humidity – no wonder, since on its home island of Barbados, the average temperature is a pleasant 26°C.
The plant has a stable, woody stem and develops a broad crown with many side shoots. This not only looks beautiful but also ensures a rich harvest.
Cultivation & Growing
The Bishop's Crown needs time, but it's worth it. Ideally, you start growing at the end of December or beginning of January so the plant can use the full season.
Germination & First Weeks
Getting chili seeds to germinate is an exciting moment every year! Growing is the most beautiful part of the entire chili cultivation: the waiting and hoping until the first fresh green shows after one to two weeks. This instantly makes the dreary winter days forgotten.
The Bishop's Crown germinates reliably at 25–28°C. With a growing mat, it takes about 10–14 days until the first seedlings.
Why Grow Your Own?
The selection of chili varieties at discount stores is quite limited. Therefore, it's worth relying on specialized sources and growing rare varieties like the Bishop's Crown yourself. So you know exactly what's on your plate – and that's the most beautiful thing about the whole matter, isn't it?
Container & Substrate
With the Bishop's Crown chili, you must pay attention to a sufficiently large plant container. A plant that grows two meters high also needs corresponding space below.
Size & Material
A 20- to 30-liter container with loose tomato soil or special chili soil has proven excellent. Plastic pots are light, but with this plant height, wind can become a problem – a stable terracotta pot is therefore often the better choice.
Drainage & Soil
Good drainage is essential. The Bishop's Crown likes it moist but not waterlogged. Mix 30% perlite or expanded clay into the soil so water can drain well.
Harvest & Storage
From August, the harvest begins – abundant and versatilely usable. The pods can be harvested green or fully ripe (orange to red).
Harvest Time & Timing
Green-harvested pods are milder and suitable for grilling. Fully ripe pods are sweeter, more aromatic, and spicier. The season runs until October/November.
Storage & Preservation
Fresh pods keep in the refrigerator for about 2–3 weeks. For storage: drying, freezing, or pickling in vinegar. Dried powder keeps for years in a cool, dark place.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bishop's Crown
How hot is the Bishop's Crown?
Ripe Bishop's Crown chilies range between 5,000 and 30,000 Scoville – about heat level 3–5 on a 1–10 scale. They are thus mild to medium-hot and significantly milder than jalapeños. The heat can vary from fruit to fruit.
How big does the plant get?
In the first year, the Bishop's Crown reaches 1.5–1.8 meters in height. As a perennial plant, it can grow up to 2 meters or more. A 20–30 liter container is necessary.
When should I sow?
Ideal: end of December to beginning of January. This gives the plant maximum growing time until the season.
How long until harvest?
From seed to first harvest takes about 150–180 days. From August/September there's the first harvest.
Can I overwinter the plant?
Yes, the Bishop's Crown is perennial. With pruning back to basic structure, space at 5–15°C and reduced watering, it overwinters well. In spring it shoots out vigorously again.
Is the variety suitable for beginners?
Yes, absolutely. The Bishop's Crown is robust and productive. The long vegetation period is the only "disadvantage" – but that's also an advantage because you harvest longer.
How many fruits per plant?
A mature plant bears 50–150+ fruits, depending on conditions and location. That's a very good yield.
Is the shape only visual, or can you taste it?
Both! The shape enables thinner pods with optimal flesh-to-skin ratio. And visually it's simply an eye-catcher.
About the Author
Fabian is founder of Pikantista and has been bringing Europe's hottest chili sauces to market for over a decade. With his years of experience from projects like Pika Pika Chili Compositions and Chili Mafia, he has grown hundreds of Bishop's Crown plants. The elegant beauty of this variety fascinates him again and again – and the taste is just as impressive as the form. For him, the Bishop's Crown is one of the most versatile varieties: for grilling, for salsas, for powder, for overwintering. Follow him on Instagram for more variety recommendations!