Bird's Eye Chilli Infused Rapeseed Oil (Handmade) 250ml

Only the best South African ingredients go into this medium heat Banhoek Chilli Oil. Handmade in small batches, it is uniquely cooked using induction heating to ensure a consistent level of heat that other methods simply can't beat.

This oil is made from the seeds of the canola plant which belongs to the same family as dietary hits broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. It has low amounts of saturated fats and cholesterol. Chillies are a great source of vitamins A, B, C and E. In fact, it has seven times more vitamin C than oranges.

The idea for Banhoek Chilli Oil stemmed from a fear of average tasting chilli oils. When chillies are mixed with olive oil, the taste of the olives gets in the way of the pure chilli flavour. That is why we use high quality rapeseed oil so that it does not get in the way of the chilli taste. On the other hand, made-to-order fresh or dried chillies served in oil never quite cut it consistency-wise, so we infuse the chilli flavour to keep the chilli flavour and hotness consistent.

Adding the rosy hue and luscious bite to this premium oil are bird’s eye chillies, grown and dried in the Swartland region of South Africa. Originally from Thailand, the bird’s eye chilli offers the perfect balance of flavour and heat, clocking in at between 50,000 and 100,000 on the Scoville Scale of chilli spice. However, when the chillies are infused in the oil, that heat is reduced by up to 80%, delivering a subtle chilli spice which enhances other flavours without overpowering them.

In the bespoke production unit on a farm in the Banhoek Valley, the chillies are crushed by hand to release the seeds and provide a larger surface area for infusion. They are then mixed with premium rapeseed oil and heated on an induction plate to 70C as this gives a consistent heat throughout the oil, ensuring an even infusion of flavour from the chillies.

Once the oil and chillies have been heated and then cooled, the oil is drained and the remaining chilli pulp is pressed to extract maximum flavour. The oil is then passed through a sieve and finally through a 16-stage filter to remove any fine chilli particles that may remain suspended.The filtration gives the oil exceptional clarity but also ensures that Banhoek Chilli Oil has stability and an excellent shelf life.

Banhoek Chilli Oil gets its moniker from the Ban(g)hoek ('Fear Corner') Valley, which runs along the Helshoogte ('Hell’s Heights') Pass between the historic Western Cape towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek in South Africa. The valley itself was named for the feeling of fear that rippled through the troupe of early Cape settlers when they first set foot in this fertile – yet wildly petrifying – corner of the Cape. You see, it was where Cape mountain lions and leopards roamed and ruled.