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Mexicans' pride |
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More than 400 varieties of chili
more than 150
varieties are from Mexico |
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Shortest chili |
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Less than 0.5 cm |
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Longest chili |
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More than 30 cm |
Chili as natural dye
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Chilies are
used not only as color/pigment for cheese, sausage, salad
dressings and meat products, but also for drugs and cosmetics. |
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Scoville
scale |
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This scale measures
the degree of hotness, or the comparative capsaicin level.
Each Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) measures part per million of
capsaicin in a chili. |
Capsaicin
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The potent
compound that gives chili their fiery nature. It is a
hydrophobic, colorless,
odorless, crystalline to waxy solid at room temperature.
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Pure capsaicin |
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Measures 16,000,000
SHU |
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Police spray |
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A defensive gadget against
aggression 5,000,000 SHU |
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Capsaicin intensity |
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Not reduced by heat
or refrigeration |
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Vitamins A
|
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more vitamin A than carrot |
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Vitamin C |
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7 times more vitamin
C than orange |
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Vitamin E |
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Rich source |
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folic acid |
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Good source |
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Cholesterol |
- |
Zero (good for the heart) |
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Calorie content |
- |
Low (good for weight
watchers) |
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Sodium |
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Low (reduces blood thickening) |
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Minerals |
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Rich in potassium,
contains magnesium, iron, riboflavin |
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Processed chili products |
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Chili paste,
Tabasco sauce, dried
chili, chili flakes,
pimento and salsa picante.
|
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Hottest chili in the world |
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Naga jolokia |
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Chili without bite |
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Bell pepper with
zero SHU |
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Chili plants |
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Perennial shrubs |
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Discovery of chili |
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Year 1493 by
Christopher Columbus from the Caribbean Islands |
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Christopher Columbus |
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First person to
bring chili to Spain and then the Western Hemisphere; on his
return from his first voyage to the Caribbean Islands
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Food |
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Very popular as
spice, condiments and vegetables |
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Medicine |
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For slimming, as painkiller, as
antibiotic, as antioxidant, |
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Miscellaneous uses |
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As coloring agents,
in landscaping, as ornaments |
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SHU |
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Scoville heat unit as a measure of
pungency |
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Bell pepper |
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'Sweet ' chili with
zero Scoville unit (SHU) |
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Bites and burns |
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Due to its capsaicin component
acting directly on pain receptors |
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Capsaicin |
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Also present in
ginger and black pepper to a lesser amount |
Bird, snail, frog
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Do not have pain receptors for
capsaicin, consuming chili thus does not cause them pain |
Chili fame!
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Biting, burning, ,
pungent, fuming, hot, stinging, sharp, acidic, caustic, spicy is
the mildest! |
Soluble
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Capsaicin is soluble in products
that contain casein like milk and yoghurt; alcohol, ammonia with
chlorine, and organic compounds. |
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Insoluble
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Capsaicin is
insoluble in water, fat and oil as they do not contain casein. |
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Put out fire! |
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Drink milk to clear throats and
stomach pains, or rub in milk products |
Digestion
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Capsaicin activates the digestive systems by inducing the flow
of saliva and secretion of gastric acids. |
Prehistoric chili
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Archaeological
evidence indicated use and probable cultivation of wild
capsicums as early as 5000
B.C. |
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Natural dispersal agents |
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Principally birds, |
Chili reroute
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From
Northeastern Asia, Bolivia , Brazil, Caribbean Islands Spain,
Mexico, Peru, Cape Verde, the Canaries, Madeira, and the
Azores, African coasts, India, monsoon Asia, China,
the Middle East, the Balkans, to central Europe, and Italy. |
Salsa picante,
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Sauce of Mexican origin made with a base of chilies, onions and
tomatoes, grab market by storm to replace tomato sauce in 1992 |
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Colors of chili |
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white, yellow, green, red, orange,
purple, black and commonly turn to red when ripen. |
Names
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Aji,
locoto or rocoto.
in the Dominican Republic (formerly Espaņola) and a few other
places in the Caribbean and much of South America; pimento in
Spain, peperone in Italy,
Pigmen in France,
paprika in the Balkans,
capsicum for Dutch and English;
prik in Thai
mirch in Hindi,
la-chiaw in China |
Names for different
kill
|
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Australia,
India, Indonesia, and Southeast, chilli (spelled
chillies or sometimes chilly) is used for the pungent
types, while the mild ones are called capsicums.
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Chili con carne, |
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A popular dish,
as denoted from its name: chili with meat |
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Chipotles |
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Dry, smoked red jalapeņos. |
Chile, chile or aji
|
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The name of the chile plant bears no relation to the
country called Chile. In Chile chili is called
ají. |
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Common pests for planting |
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Slugs &
snails, aphids, red spider mite, |
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Common diseases for
planting |
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Damping,
grey mould formation, leaves yellowing, premature drop |
Capsaicin
|
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Concentrated in the interior veins
or ribs near the seed heart, not in the seeds as is commonly
believed (the seeds taste extra hot because they are in close
contact with the hot veins). |
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Gustatory
perspiration. |
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Capsaicin
consumption causes body to sweat, particularly on the forehead |
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Chili as spice |
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Chiles are the second most common
spices in the world, following salt. |
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Toothache control |
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In traditional
medicine, the Mayans rubbed hot peppers on their gums to stop
toothaches
and bleeding. |
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Pungency of chili |
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In general, the smaller the pepper,
the hotter it will be. All the world's most potent peppers are
under three inches long. Chili with tiny protrusions or uneven
skin are generally hotter than the smoother ones |
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Fruit or vegetable? |
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Chilies are fruits
not vegetables. |
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On chili diet ? |
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People who eat chilies are generally
healthier and slimmer. |
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Chili for the
obese |
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Chilies curb your
appetite - especially against cravings for fatty foods and
sweets. |
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The sweaty and
addictive pleasures
of chilies |
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But the hard-core
chili addicts
just cannot do away with chilies in their food.
Craving and addiction explained.
There are many weird stories of chili craving: |
