The Riverside farmers market has plenty of variety to offer city dwellers – local cheeses, farm fresh apple and pear juice, candles made from bees wax and crowd favourites like home baked shortbread cookies. But if you’re on the hunt for something a little more risqué, the market is also popular for flaming hot chilli sauce.
If spicy food tickles your taste buds, pay a visit to Chris Fowler’s stall. Chris of Welsh Dragon Chilli (WDC) explains that he grows several exotic varieties of chilli peppers, right here in Cardiff. Temperature controlled polytunnels such as the one located in the Cefn Mably Farm Park are ideal for farming these tropical peppers, he adds.
A polytunnel is an elongated frame, covered by polythene under which plants and seeds are grown outdoors. Humidity and ventilation levels can also be effectively controlled by equipment placed inside the tunnel. Crops grown within the tunnels are thus protected from the extreme weather conditions outside.
Some of the peppers grown by WDC like jalapeno originate from Mexico, while the bright red ‘Rocoto’ chilli has its origins in Central and South America. For those of you adventurous enough to taste the end produce, ultra hot chilli sauce, Chris will smother some on a tortilla chip and let your senses have a go at it!
According to the World’s Healthiest Foods organization website, chilli peppers are low in calories and offer a number of health benefits. These include being able to fight inflammation, boosting immunity levels and clearing congestion.
A bottle of WDC sauce retails for £5 and is available for sale exclusively at the Sunday farmers market.