Nīʻoi - Hawaiian Chili Pepper
"We got that shoyu, sugar, ginger, garlic, chili peppah watah."
This is my favorite line in the song listing the most common seasonings in your average local household. While we previously delved into the medicinal properties of ʻawapuhi Pākē, or ginger, today we are focusing on nīʻoi the star ingredient in chili peppah watah. (Okay come on, if you donʻt say it like this are you really from here?)
Nīʻoi is Hawaiian chili pepper. Nīʻoi grows on a bush and the fruit transitions from a yellow green, to orange, to red when itʻs ready to pick. While small, they are mighty rating between 100,000-250,000 SHU on the Scoville Scale.
Medicinal Uses
Nīʻoi oxygenates the blood. This therefore increases circulation. Nīʻoi has the ability to stop bleeding in minor cuts and also helps in fighting off infections while also fighting off fatigue and headaches. Believe it or not, nīʻoi is used for any type of pilikia with your eyes. In combination with a grass called Kūkae Puaʻa, eye drops can be made for cataracts and near and far sightedness. *Yes, I’ve tried it! It felt like the Japanese Rhoto eye drops. This was done under the supervision of my kumu lāʻau lapaʻau and is not recommended to be tried without a lāʻau lapaʻau practitioner.
One of the more special and unique qualities of nīʻoi is its ability to permeate the blood brain barrier. This is especially helpful in combination with lāʻau, like Blue Vervain and Pohekula, for ailments of the brain such as Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy and Depression.
Ever notice that when you eat something spicy you start to sweat? Nīʻoi is added to medicines, like the aforementioned eye drops, for this very reason. Nīʻoi opens up your pores making your body more receptive to the lāʻau lapaʻau that it was combined with. This is also why we get drunker faster when we take shots of chili pepper water while partaking in pau hana beverages.
Adding chili pepper water to food not only adds flavor but also helps your body absorb the health benefits of the other ingredients in your food. As a self proclaimed chili pepper water connoisseur, I put it on everything: lau lau, lomilomi salmon, kalua pig, oysters, hot rice. You name it. At any given time, I have 2-3 different types of chili pepper water in my fridge: lilikoʻi chili pepper water, one with a nice kick and garlic flavor and my brother and sister-in-law also make a mean one with starfruit from their tree. (Shameless plug if you like try!) I have also tried some with limu in it! There are so many different varieties out there!
Nīʻoi has many medicinal properties and is the most important ingredient in my favorite condiment.
