Chili Pepper
The chili pepper (also spelled chilli and chile) is the fruit of the plant capsicum of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family. Cultivated since prehistoric times in Peru and Mexico, it was discovered in the Caribbean by Christopher Columbus and named a “pepper” because of its similarity with the Old World peppers of the Piper genus. Diego Alvarez Chanca, a physician on Columbus’ second voyage to the West Indies in 1493, brought the first chilli peppers to Spain, and first wrote about their medicinal effects in 1494.
The most common species of chili peppers are: Capsicum annuum, which includes many common varieties such as bell peppers and jalapeņos; Capsicum frutescens, which includes cayenne and tabasco peppers; Capsicum chinense, which includes the hottest peppers such as habaneros and Scotch bonnets; Capsicum pubescens, which includes the South American rocoto peppers; and Capsicum baccatum, which includes the chiltepin.
Though there are only a few commonly used species, there are far more cultivars and different ways preparing chilli peppers that have different common names for culinary use. Green and red bell peppers, for example, are the same cultivar of C. annuum, with the green ones being immature. In the same species are the jalapeņo, the chipotle, which is a smoked jalapeņo, the poblano, ancho (which is a dried poblano), New Mexico, Anaheim, Serrano, and others. Jamaicans, Scotch bonnets, and habaneros are common varieties of C. chinense. Species C. frutescens appears as chiles de arbol, aji, pequin, tabasco, cayenne, cherry peppers, and others.
The fruit is eaten cooked or raw for its fiery hot flavor. Indian, Szechuan and Thai cuisines are particularly associated with the chili pepper, although the plant was unknown in Asia until Europeans introduced it there.
Well-known dishes with a strong chili flavor are salsa, Mexican chili con carne and Indian vindaloo. Chili powder is a spice made of the dried ground chiles, usually of the Mexican Ancho variety, but with small amounts of cayenne added for heat. Bottled hot sauces such as Tabasco sauce are made from chilis such as the cayenne (not, oddly, from tabasco peppers), which may also be fermented.
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