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Chili Pepper

 

Chili pepper is referred to the fruit that is obtained from the plant of the capsicum family. Chili peppers are also popularly called as ‘chile’, ‘chilli’ as well as ‘chilli pepper’. It comes in different colors such as red, green and sometime yellow. Chili peppers get its intensity and hot flavor from a substance called ‘capsaicin’. Though it is hot in taste, but chili peppers are widely used in giving intense and spicy flavor to some of the most popular preparations across the globe. Chili pepper recipes are well-liked in cuisines where people are fond of sizzling dishes. Some such chili pepper dishes are chili pepper salsa, chili pepper sauce and chili pepper chicken.

 

History of Chili Pepper

The human consumption of chili pepper has been started in America around 7500 BC. According to archeological evidences the first domestication of chili peppers was observed 6000 years ago in Southwestern Ecuador. Christopher Columbus is also closely linked with the introduction of these hot peppers. The chili was first brought to Spain by a fellow voyager of Christopher Columbus in 1494. The popularity of chili pepper had spread in Asian countries from Mexico. From Asia, chili traveled to Hungary and became the national spice there.

 

Culinary Use of Chili Pepper

Being a hot and intense ingredient, chili peppers are widely used to flavor several side dishes, appetizers as well as main dishes. Chili pepper recipes also include a wide range of soups and stews. In chili pepper dishes, chili is often used in chopped form as a garnish.

 

Savory dishes including rice, mutton, poultry and seafood are extensively cooked with chili pepper as one of the ingredient. Dried chili pepper or paprika is a very common ingredient in various global cuisines. Pizza, pasta, enchiladas and salsas are widely flavored with paprika or chopped chili peppers. Usually, chili is not cooked completely. Either it is sautéed or added raw at the end of the cooking.

 

Popular Chili pepper Recipes

  • Chili sauce – This is one of the most popular chili pepper recipes that are well-liked in almost all cuisines. This can be either eaten as a condiment or added to various other dishes as an ingredient.
  • Chili pepper chicken – This is a hot and intense chicken dish made with chili pepper.
  • Chili garlic rice – Chili pepper is added to flavor the fried rice. This dish is highly popular in Asian cuisine.
  • Chili pepper pizza – This recipe is well-liked in Asian as well as European cuisine. Chili pepper is often used in form of paprika to flavor pizza.

 

Cuisines Commonly Making Chili Pepper Recipes

Chili pepper recipes are quite popular in American cuisine. Mexican and Spanish cuisines highly use chilies in their foods. Salsas, rice and meat dishes are extensively flavored with chilli peppers.

 

Among Asian cuisines; Indian, Chinese and Korean cuisines have a long list of chili pepper dishes. Indian and Chinese cuisines are famous for its spicy and hot dishes that are the result of adding chili pepper in either fresh form or dried powder.

 

In Hungarian cuisine, paprika is known as the national spice that is basically a dry form of chili pepper.

 

Preferred Methods of Making Chili Pepper Dishes

  • Chopped – Chili peppers are widely used in chopped form to make numerous chili pepper recipes.
  • Blended – Often chilies are blended with other ingredients to make sauce and salsa.
  • Stir-fried – In Asian chili pepper dishes, chilies are usually stir-fried to impart flavor in the oil.

 

Nutritive Values of Chili Pepper

  • Chili peppers are the excellent source of Vitamin C and provitamin A.
  • Vitamin B complex is also present in high amounts in chilies.
  • Minerals such as Iron, potassium along with magnesium are present in abundance in chili pepper recipes.
  • The capsaicin content in chilies act as topical analgesic and helps in relieving arthritis pain and headaches.

 

Buying and Storing of Chili Peppers

Firm and crisp chili peppers are always good to buy. Wrinkled peppers are not suitable to buy as they lost flavor. For mild chilies, select with broad top and blunt tip. While buying dried chilies always select sun dried chilies. It is recommended to buy loose dry chilies rather than buying packaged chilies . Unbroken and uniform colored chilies should be purchased.

 

Chilies should be wrapped in a paper bag and stored in refrigerator for not more than 2 weeks. It is advised store dry chilies in an air tight container.

 

Types of Chili Pepper

  • Cayenne – This type of chili is hot in nature and comes in red, green and yellow colors.
  • Jalapeno – these types of chili peppers are often green in color but matured chilies are usually red. These chilies are mainly used in chili pepper recipes that call for hot chilies.
  • Poblano – Similar to bell peppers in small size and mild in nature. Fresh and canned poblano chilies are quite popular.

 

Other varieties of chilies are habanera, Serrano, ancho and cherry. All these varieties differ in color, shape and intensity.

 

Chili Pepper Trivia

  • Immediate consumption of any dairy product can easily cool down the mouth after eating chilies.