Bonda Ma Jacques
Also known as Bonda Man Jacques · Bondamanjak · Bonda Man Jak · Piment Ma Jacques · Piment Bondamanjak
Bonda Ma Jacques is a Capsicum chinense landrace from Guadeloupe, France. Capsi’s sourced range is 100,000–400,000 SHU (Vendor Claim). Flavor is citrus, tropical fruit, tangy. Used for sauce chien, court-bouillon, Creole fish stews, hot sauce, salsa. Heat is a range, not a single marketing number.
Bonda Ma Jacques is a yellow elongated habanero-type chinense from the French Antilles. Growers keep it for a citrus-tangy flavor that many prefer to ordinary habanero.
About 9.4 times a Capsi Jalapeño (31,902 SHU typical).
Growing
~90 days to maturity
Fruit size
5–6 cm
Flavor & Use
Tangy citrus and tropical fruit, with a bitter orange-peel edge and a strong fruity aroma.
Culinary
About
Ripe pods hang pendant and taper to a point, about 5 to 6 cm long and 2.5 to 3 cm wide. They ripen from green to golden yellow, with medium walls and slightly bumpy, shiny skin. The taste is citrus and tropical fruit with a bitter orange-peel edge, not the soapy note some habaneros carry. Heat is in the hot habanero band. Plants stay compact, usually 60 to 90 cm, and want a long warm season.
Backstory
The Creole name Bondamanjak, also written Bonda Man Jak or Piment Ma Jacques, means Madame Jacques's backside and nods to the pod's shape. Kitchen gardens on Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Saint Lucia have kept the type for generations. François Kaan, writing in Jardins de France, noted that the old stocky Antillean form has nearly vanished from those islands. The yellow elongated line in English seed catalogs is the Saint Lucia market type that reached growers through Hippy Seed Company.
Appearance
Growing
Heritage
ExploreBonda Ma Jacques is a traditional landrace.
Sources
FAQ
- How hot is Bonda Ma Jacques?
- Capsi’s sourced range is 100,000–400,000 SHU (Vendor Claim). Capsi uses a sourced range and a trust tier, not a single marketing number. How we verify heat: https://web.thecapsi.app/learn/heat-and-capsaicin/how-we-measure-heat
- What does Bonda Ma Jacques taste like?
- Tangy citrus and tropical fruit, with a bitter orange-peel edge and a strong fruity aroma.
- How do I grow Bonda Ma Jacques?
- Bonda Ma Jacques: about 90 days to maturity, tropical climate, full sun, hardiness zones 9-11.
- What can I substitute for Bonda Ma Jacques?
- Fatalii, Scotch Bonnet