Try not to kill your tongue with hot chilli peppers.
- A chili pepper is a red, yellow or green coloured fruit, usually from one of five species of plants that belong to the Capsicum genus, and they are from the family Solanaceae, the family of nightshades.
- ‘Chili peppers’ are also known as ‘chilli peppers’, ‘chile peppers’, ‘chillies’ and ‘peppers’; and they range in shape and size, and are generally between 2.5 to 15 centimetres (1 to 6 inches) in length.
- Chili peppers are native to America, where the food has historically been a staple culinary item, particularly in Central America.
- Chili pepper was named after black pepper, which, according to the Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus who named them, had a similar spicy flavour.
- Around the 1500s, after Christopher Columbus’ discovery, chili peppers became known and used in Europe; and Portuguese traders brought the food to Asia.
- Chili peppers contain a chemical named capsaicin, which causes the hot, spicy flavour; and the capsaicin quantity is measured using Scoville heat unites (SHU); while the hottest is the Carolina reaper, with 2.2 million SHU.
- Chili peppers can be eaten dried or fresh; cooked, roasted, ground or pickled, and they are popular in curries, and Mexican and Asian cuisine.
- Chemicals, including capsaicin, can be derived from chili peppers to create pepper spray, which can be used to temporarily blind people, sometimes used for police control purposes.
- Chili peppers can be used to combat pain from nerve disfunctions and osteoarthritis, as well as protecting healthy fats.
- Chili peppers are extremely high in vitamin C, and they are high in vitamin K, vitamin A and fibre.
Bibliography:
Chili pepper, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chili_pepper
Chili pepper, dried, 2015, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=29
Great looking chillis