In the Marianas and Guam these are often called boonie peppers or Doni Sali, which can be term for regional wild (technically feral) varieties.

[3] They were spread by Spanish and Portuguese colonists, missionaries, and traders, together with many other now common crops, such as maize, tomatoes and pineapples, through the Columbian Exchange.

The whole green bird's eye chili is also eaten raw as a side dish for gorengan (deep-fried foods).

The more decorative, but slightly less pungent chili, sometimes known as "Thai ornamental", has peppers that point upward on the plant, and range from green to yellow, orange, and then red.

It is the basis for the hybrid cultivar "Numex twilight", essentially the same, but less pungent, and starting with purple fruit, creating a rainbow effect.