Capsicum chinense
Madame Jeanette - Scoville, Taste & Uses
Madame Jeanette peppers light up Surinamese kitchens. Pods resemble golden lanterns, bursting with fruity perfume. Taste mango, pineapple, and passion fruit before Very Hot heat between 100,000 and 350,000 SHU. The pepper flavors dishes like pom, roti fillings, and peanut soup. Makers often pair it with the milder adjuma pepper for balanced sauces. Thick flesh means the pepper stays juicy even after cooking. Tropical elegance, serious burn - acknowledged by the Ministry of Rainforest Flame. Madame Jeanette typically measures 100,000-350,000 SHU (Very Hot). Shows up across Suriname in condiments, pickles, and marinades. Add Madame Jeanette to pom casseroles, peanut soups, and stewed chicken. Blend it with garlic, ginger, and citrus for marinades. Combine with mango or pineapple for chutneys. The pepper ferments well for Surinamese sambal. Because it is juicy, it also infuses oils and vinegars effectively. See sauces using Madame Jeanette
Also known as: Surinamese Yellow, Madame Jeanet
Species
Capsicum chinense
Heat
Flavour
Hot, Fruity, floral, juicy, lingering
Origin / Regions
Suriname
Colour / Shape
Yellow to orange when ripe
Pod size
4-6 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, lantern-shaped
Try it in the wild
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Sauces Using Madame Jeanette
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Flavour & Aroma
Madame Jeanette peppers light up Surinamese kitchens. Pods resemble golden lanterns, bursting with fruity perfume. Taste mango, pineapple, and passion fruit before Very Hot heat between 100,000 and 350,000 SHU. The pepper flavors dishes like pom, roti fillings, and peanut soup. Makers often pair it with the milder adjuma pepper for balanced sauces. Thick flesh means the pepper stays juicy even after cooking. Tropical elegance, serious burn - acknowledged by the Ministry of Rainforest Flame.
Add Madame Jeanette to pom casseroles, peanut soups, and stewed chicken. Blend it with garlic, ginger, and citrus for marinades. Combine with mango or pineapple for chutneys. The pepper ferments well for Surinamese sambal. Because it is juicy, it also infuses oils and vinegars effectively.
Heat Profile
Scoville range
100,000-350,000 SHU
Heat label
Very Hot
Harvest window
Year round in tropics, summer to autumn elsewhere
Sauce Index count
-
History & Culture
The pepper likely emerged from Capsicum chinense varieties brought to Suriname during Dutch colonial times. Its name may honor a local woman famed for fiery cooking. Surinamese diaspora carried seeds to the Netherlands, where greenhouses now cultivate Madame Jeanette for international markets. It remains central to Surinamese and Antillean cuisine across Europe.
Botany & Growing Notes
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Start seeds indoors 10 weeks before planting. Maintain 28°C for germination. Transplant into rich, well-drained soil with full sun and high humidity. Plants can reach 1 meter tall and produce clusters of pods. Provide regular feeding and pruning to encourage airflow. Expect 100 to 120 days to ripe fruit. Greenhouses help replicate tropical conditions.
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- 3 × 100 ml sauces (varied styles)
- Tasting card & pairing pointers
- Ships EU-wide; limited runs
Trial Box
One-off box to explore heat and flavour across different sauce styles. No commitment; just taste and take notes.
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Madame Jeanette typically measures 100,000-350,000 SHU (Very Hot). Ranges shift with cultivar and growing conditions.
Hot, Fruity, floral, juicy, lingering
Surinamese Yellow, Madame Jeanet show up as common aliases depending on region. This pepper's alternate names mostly come from regional dialects.
Consider Bird's Eye, Brazilian Malagueta, Datil, Habanero for comparable heat or recipes.
- Bird's Eye - Very Hot
- Brazilian Malagueta - Very Hot
- Datil - Very Hot
- Habanero - Very Hot
Add Madame Jeanette to pom casseroles, peanut soups, and stewed chicken. Blend it with garlic, ginger, and citrus for marinades. Combine with mango or pineapple for chutneys. The pepper ferments well for Surinamese sambal. Because it is juicy, it also infuses oils and vinegars effectively.
Start seeds indoors 10 weeks before planting. Maintain 28°C for germination. Transplant into rich, well-drained soil with full sun and high humidity. Plants can reach 1 meter tall and produce clusters of pods. Provide regular feeding and pruning to encourage airflow. Expect 100 to 120 days to ripe fruit. Greenhouses help replicate tropical conditions.
Wear gloves when handling, and keep fans running when simmering sauces. If capsaicin touches skin, wash with soap, then treat with dairy or vinegar. Avoid touching eyes.
Sources
- Republic of Heat tasting lab field notes
- Producer dossiers submitted through Directus
- Open cultivar registries & academic pepper research
We cross-reference seed banks, peer-reviewed literature, and reputable producer data for SHU and origin claims.
Reviewed by Republic of Heat - last updated 2025-11-10