It's really the flavor they prefer. When given the choice of ripe red Chiles Indians ask for the green! And I who prefer red ripe chiles love the green flavor in Indian food. Mary-Anne << The Indians use only green or almost always. Just wondering, might that be so they can get more fruit from a single planting? That is, instead of letting a plant ripen its pods and then harvesting, do they get more fruit if they keep picking green, and the plant keeps producing more? >>