Spice up your life with Chilli Peppers! 5 facts you may not have known about this universal spice!
Chilli Peppers have been used for thousands of years to spice up dishes from all cuisine styles ~ think Chinese food to “Tex-Mex” ~ so it is no wonder that Chilli is a staple in any chef’s kitchen. With premium quality certified organic chilli powder now available at our online store we’ve taken a moment to list 5 relatively unknown facts about Chilli Peppers to give you more insight into this universal spice!
1. Chilli Pepper Origins
According to our American friends over at the Museum of Natural History Chilli Peppers or Chile Peppers were originally endemic to South America with signs of domesticated spice farming tracing back 9000 years in Mexico. So widespread was consumption of chilli peppers amongst the Aztecs that those who abstained from eating it were suspected of sorcery! Chilli Peppers began their global lift-off in the 1400’s with Christopher Columbus’ arrival to the new world transporting the spice back to the Caribbean, Europe and the mediterranean where it then made its way to South East Asia along the spice trade routes.
2. Green, Yellow & Red Hot Chilli Peppers ~ how much heat can you handle?!
With roughly 27 Chilli Pepper species and many more varieties it was surely only a matter of time before an official measurement system was devised to index their spicy heat. The Scoville Heat Index (going by Wikipedia) ranks Chilli Pepper heat in terms of units starting from an index of 0, being no-heat (I.e. Bell Peppers) to an index of 855,000-2,200,000 (I.e. Naga & Trinidad Scorpion varietals). Habanero chilli peppers (what our certified organic chilli powder is made of) are considered the hottest commonly available chillies, ranking in at 100,000-350,000 they are still deemed exceptionally hot by any means!
3. Chilli Peppers are rich in Vitamins and a powerful antioxidant
According to the researchers over at Foodofy, Chilli Peppers contain high levels of Vitamins A & C whilst also being a powerful antioxidant. As a result, consumption may help to improve eyesight, strong teeth, bones, and skin and strengthen your immune system and reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease, not to mention weight loss (although due to other reasons).
4. They belong in your fruit basket!
Even though you wouldn’t add it to a summer fruit salad, Chili Peppers, botanically speaking, are actually a fruit as they contain internal, as well as edible seeds!
5. Use milk and yoghurt to quench the fire!
If we head back to the Museum of Natural History we’ll find the heat of Chilli Peppers comes from the naturally occurring compound capsaicin. Whilst not very soluble in water, capsaicin has the opposite effect in fat and alcohol. However, THE most effective way of ridding yourself of unwanted Chilli Pepper heat is through milk or yoghurt! Certain proteins found in these substances are the chemical equivalent of detergent, effectively stripping capsaicin from their receptor binding sites!
So there you have it! 5 (hopefully) interesting facts of Chilli Peppers you may not have known!
Shop Certified Organic Chilli Pepper Powder at our online store! As we mentioned it’s made out of the Habanero Chilli Pepper variety which is ‘exceptionally hot’ and not for the faint of heart!
Certified Organic Ground Hot Chilli Pepper (80g)Premium certified organic ground Hot Chilli Pepper made from ‘yellow lantern Chilli Peppers’ known for their exceptional heat and unique flavours. Harvested from the pristine eco-systems of the Vanuatu islands. Sun-dried and stone ground for best quality flavour, creating positive community impacts with every purchase! Shop Certified Organic Ground Hot Chilli Pepper here Free local delivery & Free Aus. delivery over $35 |