Our Cobanero Chili Flakes are a rare Maya variety of chili pepper with a fierce, bright, slightly smoky heat and a lush, fruity, peachy aroma. The chilis are grown in the mountains around the city of Cobán, Guatemala. They're spicier than serrano peppers and in the same range as cayenne. Perfect for anyone who appreciates true chili flavor!
Highlights
Cooking tips
- Heat level: 30,000-50,000 Scoville units
- Add to your pot of beans, roasts or braises
- Add to your marinades or sauces for an extra kick
RECIPES
SOURCING

This is a really, really special chili varietal called a Cobanero Chili, only cultivated in the area around the city of Cobán in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. We were looking for farmers who grew this chili, which is one of the oldest domesticated chili varietals, and asked Don Amilcar (who also grows our cardamom and black lime) if he knew anyone. He did us one better and started growing them himself.
HEALTH BENEFITS
While we do not make any health claims on any of our spices, there has been some historic and limited recent evidence that chilis can potentially be helpful for:
- Cancers: Capsaicin shows potential natural cytotoxic and anticancer properties. (A, B, C, D, E, F, G)
- Increased Longevity: Several studies have shown a significant decrease in mortality associated with regular consumption of chili peppers. (A, B, C)
- Cardiovascular Disease, Hypertension and Cholesterol: Diets containing chili peppers have shown a correlation with decreased cardiovascular mortality, improved blood pressure and potential for cholesterol reduction. (A, B, C, D)
- Osteoarthritis/Pain: Utilizing capsaicin shows potential improvement associated with chronic osteoarthritis pain, post-herpetic neuralgia and neuropathy. (A, B, C)
- Digestive Health: Chili peppers and capsaicin have been shown to have a gastroprotective effect in peptic ulcer disease, a beneficial effect on human gut microbiota and gastric emptying, and a potential to improve dysphagia symptoms. (A, B, C, D, E, F)
- Obesity: Regular consumption of capsaicinoids show a reduction in appetite and abdominal fat tissue levels, and an increase of energy expenditure. (A, B, C, D, E, F)
- Antimicrobial Benefits: Chilis inhibit various microbial pathogen growth, and have the potential to be used as antimicrobials. (A, B, C, D)
- Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes: The target receptor of capsaicin (TRPV1) is present on many metabolically active tissues, and may show potential to treat the cluster of risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome and help regulate blood sugar levels. (A, B)
Further clinical studies are warranted and in progress. Please always consult your healthcare provider. This is not intended as medical advice.
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Cobanero Chili Flakes
We eat a KETO food lifestyle. We make our own KETO beef chili- we add the cobanero chili flakes to add “heat and spice” to it with great results- the seasoning is fresh with no metallic tastes as other chili spices bring. The spice mixes well into the dish and provides even heat. We love all the spices we have purchased from B&B- we just ordered 6 more!

Cobanero chili is my favorite!
We use Cobanero chili on so many dishes. It adds a tremendous amount of flavor and just the right amount of heat. Awesome!