piri-piri: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1informal, culinary
Quick answer
What does “piri-piri” mean?
A small, very hot chili pepper of African origin.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A small, very hot chili pepper of African origin; also, a spicy sauce or seasoning made from these peppers.
A culinary term associated with a style of cooking, particularly grilled chicken or prawns, marinated or served with a spicy sauce made from piri-piri peppers.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, 'piri-piri' is a common menu item in Portuguese-inspired restaurants and supermarkets. In American English, it is less common but recognized by food enthusiasts; 'peri-peri' is an alternative spelling sometimes seen.
Connotations
In the UK, it strongly connotes a specific style of Portuguese-African grilled food (e.g., Nando's restaurant chain). In the US, it may be seen as a more exotic or gourmet ingredient.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English due to widespread restaurant chains; lower frequency in general US English but growing in foodie contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “piri-piri” in a Sentence
[noun] with piri-piri[noun] marinated in piri-piricoated in piri-piriVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “piri-piri” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [No standard verb use in British English]
American English
- [No standard verb use in American English]
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverb use in British English]
American English
- [No standard adverb use in American English]
adjective
British English
- We're having piri-piri wings for the game.
- I bought a piri-piri cooking sauce.
American English
- The menu featured a piri-piri grilled shrimp appetizer.
- He prefers the piri-piri spice blend.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in the restaurant, food manufacturing, and retail sectors (e.g., 'launching a new piri-piri product line').
Academic
Rare; might appear in anthropological, culinary, or agricultural studies discussing food cultures.
Everyday
Common in contexts of dining out, cooking, grocery shopping, and food discussions.
Technical
Used in food science (e.g., 'piri-piri pepper Scoville rating') and professional culinary arts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “piri-piri”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “piri-piri”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “piri-piri”
- Misspelling as 'peri-peri', 'pili-pili', or 'piri piri' (without hyphen).
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'I piri-piried the chicken' is non-standard).
- Overgeneralizing to mean any hot sauce.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they refer to the same thing. 'Piri-piri' is the more common spelling in Portuguese and UK English, while 'peri-peri' is an alternative Anglicized spelling.
Piri-piri peppers (African bird's eye chilies) are very hot, typically ranging from 50,000 to 175,000 Scoville Heat Units, similar to or hotter than a standard cayenne pepper.
No, it is not standard English. You would say 'marinate in piri-piri', 'coat with piri-piri', or 'season with piri-piri'.
It originates from African, particularly Mozambican and Angolan, cuisine but was popularized globally through Portuguese cooking (e.g., frango piri-piri - grilled piri-piri chicken).
A small, very hot chili pepper of African origin.
Piri-piri is usually informal, culinary in register.
Piri-piri: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpɪr.i ˈpɪr.i/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpɪr.i ˈpɪr.i/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms for this specific culinary term]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'PEER at the PEERie (Scottish for small) very hot pepper' – piri-piri.
Conceptual Metaphor
HEAT IS INTENSITY / FLAVOR IS EXPERIENCE (e.g., 'a life with piri-piri levels of excitement').
Practice
Quiz
What is 'piri-piri' primarily associated with?