piri

Piri is a term most commonly associated with a hot chili pepper used in African and Portuguese cuisine. The piri-piri pepper, also known as the African bird's eye chili, is a small Capsicum frutescens cultivar known for its pronounced heat. The fruit typically ripens from green to red and is used fresh, dried, or powdered in a range of dishes. The name piri-piri is widely believed to derive from local language terms for pepper, and it is used in various spellings such as peri-peri or pili-pili.

Piri-piri sauce is a spicy condiment made from piri-piri chilies blended with garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil, and salt. It serves as a marinade, baste, or dipping sauce and is a staple in Mozambican and Portuguese-inspired cooking. Variations exist that adjust the chili-to-ingredient balance, sometimes incorporating herbs or paprika. The sauce has gained international popularity and is associated with southern African and Lusophone cuisines, including restaurant chains and home recipes.

Other uses of the term include Piri Reis (circa 1465–1554), an Ottoman admiral and cartographer known for early sea charts and the Kitab-i Bahriye. In contemporary contexts, Piri may also appear as a given name in Turkish-speaking communities. The term thus spans culinary uses—both pepper and sauce—as well as historical and cultural references.