Fun Facts About Chili Peppers

Peppers?  Where did they come from? It is thought that they made their first appearance around 7,000 BC in Mexico. The first European to “discover” Chili Peppers was Christopher Columbus in America in 1493. It is said that he was actually looking for an alternative to black pepper. What he found was a small hot pod in which he called the “pimiento” after the Spanish word for black pepper. Within a century, chili peppers’ popularity had spread worldwide.

What makes a pepper hot? Their pungency is derived from a compound called CAPSAICIN, which is a substance located in the internal partitions of the fruit, that causes acrid vapors and a burning taste.

Don’t eat the seeds because they are hot (WRONG!) Seeds are not the source of heat in a pepper, as most people believe. The capsaicin is produced in the glands and the most heat is found in the placenta of the pepper that attaches the seeds to the pod.

My mouth is burning after eating a chili pepper.  What do I do? Immediate consumption of dairy products like milk, sour cream or ice cream. The more fat in the product the better. Also, starchy foods tend to absorb the heat! A popular Mexican cure is to consume beer to cool the burn!

Capsaicin makes a pepper hot. Pure capsaicin is a whitish powder, which is insoluble in cold water, which is why drinking water won’t help to ease your burning tongue!

For those who do not like hot peppers there are mild ones. The mildest peppers are Bell Peppers, Cherry Peppers and Yellow Peppers.

There are mild peppers and then there are HOT peppers. Hotter categories of peppers include the Jalapeno Pepper and the Cayenne Pepper. The hottest pepper is the Habanero!

Who ate the hottest pepper and lived! A 1994 Red Savina Habanero from GNS Spices has tested an astonishing 577,000 Scoville Units and is believed to be the hottest pepper ever tasted! We do not know the poor fellow who did this.

Scoville units are what the heat intensity of a pepper is measured in. The more milder pepper, like the Bell Peppers range from 100 – 1,000 scovilles units. While the hottest peppers, like the Jalapeno and habanero, range from 5,000 – 300,000 scoville units.

Get your vitamins! Chiles are high in Vitamin A and Vitamin C and are reported to help lower blood pressure!

Remember, the smaller and thinner the pepper, the hotter it will be!

Some chili ideas. Chili Plain or Chili with Beans, Chili and Semolina Wheat Spaghetti, Chili and Spaghetti topped with Aged Cheddar Cheese, Chili and Spaghetti topped with Hand-Chopped Sweet Onion and Cheddar Cheese. Chili and Spaghetti topped with Pinto Beans, Chopped Sweet Onion and Cheddar Cheese. Chili and Spaghetti topped with Pinto Beans, Chopped Sweet Onion, Fresh-Chopped Garlic and Cheddar Cheese.  …. Chili Dogs, of course!