Virginia Tech Research Highlights Tinian’s Donne’ Sali

March 13, 2026 Newsletters We are excited to see our beloved CNMI hot pepper, the donne’ sali , recently featured in an article highlighting new research from Virginia Tech.  The study explores how these peppers, a staple across the Marianas and especially familiar to those of us from Tinian, may be shaped by their unique relationship with island birds.  The name donne’ sali itself reflects this connection.  In Chamorro, “ donne’ ” means pepper, and “ sali ” refers to the paluman sali , a native island bird known for feeding on the bright red peppers and helping spread their seeds across the islands.  Researchers are now studying how this relationship between birds and peppers may influence the pepper’s color and signature heat.  For those of us who grew up on Tinian, the donne’ sali is a part of our culture, our cuisine, and our island identity.  It’s great to see this small but mighty pepper receiving international attention and reminding the world of the unique natural heritage of the CNMI! Image