siling labuyo

noun

A small chili pepper cultivar that developed in the Philippines after the Columbian Exchange, belonging to the species Capsicum frutescens and characterized by triangular fruits that grow pointing upwards.

OriginTagalog siling labuyo →
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Meanings

nounsiling labuyo (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA small chili pepper cultivar that developed in the Philippines after the Columbian Exchange, belonging to the species Capsicum frutescens and characterized by triangular fruits that grow pointing upwards.

    Add the cooked crabs, pako tendrils, chopped sigarillas and siling labuyo.

    2003 November, Corinna Lopa-Alegre, “Ginataang Alimasag at Pako”, in Marivic Puyat-Limcaoco, Annie Lim-Kawpeng, editors, Assumption High School Class of ‘79 Cookbook, Makati: Toucan Media, published August 2004 (2nd printing), →ISBN, “Fish and Seafood” section, page 85
    3 more examples

    If kept alive, the blood will slow, but hold its shape. And anyway, he never believed fear could taint meat, not the way he cooked it, boiled in the sour broth of tamarind or fried crisp with garlic and the tongue-stripping burn of siling labuyo.

    2017 April, Armin Tolentino, “Why He’d Keep the Fish Alive”, in Jan Keough, Kevin Keough, editors, The Best of Kindness 2017: Origami Poems Project Kindness Contest 2017 Winning & Selected Poems, Indialantic, Fla.: Origami Poems Project, →ISBN, page 92

    During the festival, I did not settle for a less centrepiece but Pili Tree transported to Manila from Bicol and ice carving of Mayon Volcano. I felt so fulfilled with the outcome of my creation—with plenty of siling labuyo, of course!

    2020 November 5, Neria Nidea Soliman, “Writing Books, My Legacy”, in The Scent of Dangkalan Leaves: A Memoir with Selected Recipes, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN

    In the Philippines, there are various types of chili peppers used in cooking. One of the most popular is the siling labuyo, which is known for its intense spiciness.

    2023, Lovi Gueta, Justin McNeal, “Key Spices and Seasonings”, in Filipino Fiesta: Delectable Delicacies for Home Cooks, Rational Solutions, LLC, →ISBN, chapter 2 (Essential Ingredients for Filipino Cooking), page 19

Origin

  1. Tagalogsiling labuyo
  2. Englishsiling labuyo

From Tagalog siling labuyo.

More words from Tagalog

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

siling labuyo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/siling%20labuyo

MLA

“siling labuyo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/siling%20labuyo. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “siling labuyo,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/siling%20labuyo.

Source: siling labuyo on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.