Over twenty years of growing and cooking with chillies, a small collection of genuinely useful books has accumulated on the shelf. These are the ones we return to consistently – for growing advice, variety identification, recipe inspiration and preserving technique. Every book on this page is one we actually own and use.
We’ve split them into two categories: chilli-specific books covering growing, varieties and heat, and Indian and general cooking books that have shaped how we cook with our harvest.
Chilli Growing & Variety Books
The Complete Chilli Pepper Book: A Gardener’s Guide to Growing, Preserving, and Cooking: by Dave De Witt
Dave De Witt is one of the worlds authorities on chillies. In this book you can find virtually all of the information you would ever hope to find about over 100 of the worlds most common varieties of chilli. Dave DeWitt has written over 30 books on chillies, this being one of the most in depth and interesting.
In addition this book gives some great detailed information about growing chillies, how to avoid and treat various pests and diseases you may encounter in your chilli garden as well as some interesting tips to help you maximize the yield from your chilli plants.
There is also a great section containing 85 beautiful chilli recipes carefully put together to get the best flavour (not just heat) out of the different varieties of chilli mentioned in the book. In our opinion this book is worth it for these recipes alone. There are also some great stories and anecdotes throughout the book including the story of the worlds hottest chilli (The Bhut Jolokia Chilli).
This book is definitely the hottest chilli book we have reviewed to date. BUY IT HERE!
The Hot Book of Chillies – David Floyd
A more accessible introduction to the world of chillies than DeWitt’s comprehensive volume which is much better suited to someone who has recently caught the chilli bug and wants a readable overview before going deeper.
The book covers the history and origins of chillies, health benefits, preserving techniques and culinary use in a format that’s engaging rather than encyclopaedic. The best section is the variety guide covering over 100 of the most common types, with good illustrations to help with identification.
The recipe section is smaller than the Complete Chile Pepper Book but includes good salsas, sauces and chutneys that are genuinely practical for the home cook.
Best for: Beginners who want an enjoyable introduction to chillies covering all the key areas without being overwhelmed by detail. Makes a great gift.
While this book may not be the most in depth it gives a great overview of the many different areas of chillies that any chilli head would be interested in. Particularly good for someone who has just recently caught the chilli bug! View on Amazon ->
The Great Chile Book: by Mark Miller
This book could almost be described as chilli porn! While the two books above provide in depth details, discussion and advice about all sorts of chilli peppers this 160 page book satisfies on a more visual level.
The Great Chile Book introduces over 90 varieties of chilli pepper, giving each a clear profile, taste description and heat rating. The most appealing part of this book however is the pictures. All the varieties are accompanied by amazingly vibrant photographs allowing you to easily identify your crop.
This book makes a great present and is equally at home either on the coffee table for it’s stunning photographs or in the kitchen to be used as a reference book when cooking with your crop of chillies.
View on Amazon ->