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Part 1. General
 Let
us talk about red hot chili peppers. No, we are not going to
talk about the popular US rock band with the same name. We are
going to deal with the real thing - the fiery red, pungent, yet
inviting vegetable that is used a lot in the foods of the
tropical world. Indian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Korean, Spanish
and a few other cuisines will be bland without the use of red
hot (or its early avatar green or other vibrant colors such as
yellow, orange or purple) chilies in the preparation of food.
Did I say “vegetable”? Yes, chili pepper is a vegetable. The
word ‘chili pepper’ is a misnomer. Columbus, when he set sail to
go to India, went the wrong way and when he happened to stumble
upon the red chili plant in the Caribbean islands he thought it
was the plant which produced black peppers. He brought the seeds
to Europe and from there the cultivation spread all over the
world.
Botanically speaking, the vine that produces the spice
peppercorn (miLagu - Piper nigrum is the botanical nomenclature)
has no relation whatsoever to the bushy plants which produce hot
chilies and mild bell peppers (which are sweet to the taste).
Peppercorns are fruits of plants of the genus Piper. Chili (or
chile or even chilli), also known by the now established name of
chili pepper, is the pungent pod (or berry) of several species
of the genus Capsicum, of the nightshade family, the same family
to which the tomato belongs. Other members of the nightshade
family are potato, and eggplant (also known as brinjaal and
aubergine).
There are over 200 different varieties of chili peppers. Red
and green chilies are about equally pungent except the green
(unripe) variety tastes milder than the red. Smaller chilies are
hotter than larger ones in general. Fresh chilies are the most
potent source of vitamin C. Ounce for ounce chili pepper has two
and one half times as much vitamin C as orange. They are also a
good source of most B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and iron.
 Bell
peppers (kuDagu miLagAy - the name comes from the region in
Karnataka where it is grown plentifully) come in different
colors. The most common and least expensive is the green
variety. Other colors are yellow, orange, red, and purple which
are pleasing to look at but taste the same as the green variety.
They give aesthetic appeal when served in salads or in other
foods. Bell peppers (also called capsicums in many countries)
are sweet. Their heat index (a measure of the degree of hotness)
is zero.
 Upon
drying the chili, vitamin C content goes down while vitamin A
content goes up. Red chili is a source of many red dyes,
especially in Europe. After salt, red chili is the most
frequently used seasoning or condiment. Peppery seasonings
stimulate the taste bud and thus are a good alternative to salt
which has been implicated as a culprit in causing hypertension.
Peppery foods are believed to stimulate the appetite by
secreting more saliva and gastric juice, a nutritionally
important factor for people in the tropics where the hot
temperatures suppress appetite. Adding chili to other foods
helps the body burn more calories. Chili peppers have a
calorific value of only 0.2 cal/gram.
Chili peppers come in a wide range of flavors. Hot, hot, very
hot! No, in reality ancho and pasilla chilies have raisin-like
flavors. The habenero (the hottest variety around) has a fruity,
apricot-like flavor. Chipotlies (ripe red smoked
jalapenos—pronounced ha-la-peen-yos) give a smoky overtone,
especially suitable for grilled food items. If one finds it
intolerably hot after eating chili-spiked food, it is best
subdued by eating either bread or cooked rice rather than
drinking water since the latter will spread the hot chemical,
capsaicin, to other parts of the mouth. Alternately, one can
drink milk, tomato juice, or eat yogurt (curd). Fresh lemon/lime
will also counteract the capsaicin effect. It is important not
to touch lips, eyes, nose and other sensitive areas of the body
after handling chili peppers with bare hands since capsaicin is
a skin irritant.
 There
is a misconception that ornamental varieties of chilies are
poisonous. There is no truth to that. All capsicum species are
edible. Some ornamental chilies don’t taste good. There is one
ornamental variety called False Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum
capsicastrum) which is poisonous. It is not a chili plant but a
distant relative. Chili pepper plants are perennial (grow every
year) provided the environmental conditions are favorable, such
as no exposure to frost or freezing temperatures. While Chili
pepper is a misnomer because “pepper” refers to the genus Piper
and not capsicum, the term “chili pepper” has come into wide
usage and has to be recognized as such. There is an exclusive
institute to study chili peppers in the USA. The New Mexico
State University has a Chili Pepper Institute dedicated to the
study, research, development, and standardization of various
varieties of chili peppers.
Chili or Chilli or Chile?
 “Chili”
appears to be the most common spelling worldwide, although
“chilli” is also used in UK and other “English-speaking”
countries. Oxford English Dictionary lists chilli as the correct
spelling although alternative spellings such as chile and chili
are also listed. “Chile” is used universally in Spanish-speaking
countries and also in the US. However, it is not related to the
country Chile in South America, which incidentally does not
produce chili (or chile) peppers.
For a general description of various chili peppers:
http://www.texmextogo.com/chilipeppersfacts.htm
Part 2:
(To be continued)
Sethuraman Subramanian
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