Chilli

Some varieties of hot peppers are of the chili type. Today there are about 30 varieties of them, and they are all of the same genus - Capsicum, the nightshade family.

In many Asian countries, as well as in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the word "pepper" is usually not used in speech. The name of the hot spice in Russian is consonant with the Republic of Chile of the same name (Chile), but the term chili itself, in relation to pepper, means red in translation.

All chili plants are perennials. Their shrubs are very branched, some reaching two meters in height, like a pepper called "bird's eye".

Their leaves can be either large, elliptical in shape, or narrow ovoid, from light to dark green in color.

The fruits differ in size, color, shape, number of nests inside the berries and even the direction of growth, such as cayenne and tobasco, peppers grow vertically upwards.

Among the genus Capsicum, there are five most popular varieties of chili.

The species includes many varieties. Among them: mild-spicy poblano, medium-spicy jalapeno and cascabel, spicier serrano, hot cayenne and very spicy bird's eye (bird's eye).

This variety includes very hot malagueta peppers (grain of paradise), medium-spicy tabasco, spicy piri-piri and kambuzi.

This species includes such peppers as: hot de arbol, very hot datil and Scottish bonnet, as well as exceptionally hot habanero (leading in hotness in the world of chili - capsaicin up to 350 thousand EHU).

This variety of chili includes the following varieties: Bishop's crown with a mild spicy taste, mildly hot peppa and quite hot aji lemon pepper.

Rokoto pepper is one of the varieties of this variety of chili and has a very hot taste.

In addition to the above presented, it would seem, and so spicy fruits, there are world champions in hotness. The leader is the Carolina Reaper ECU with 2.2 million ECU. The second place is Trinidad moruga scorpion with 2 million ECU. Bhut jolokia - 1.58 million ECU. Trinidad Scorpion Butch - 1.463 million ECU.

As you know, the degree of spiciness (the concentration of capsaicinoids in the pulp and seeds of fruits) is determined by the units of the Scoville scale (ESU). Pure capsaicin is equal to 16 million ECU.

Chili pepper "native" of tropical America. It came to Europe thanks to the navigators of Columbus. After, many varieties spread throughout the world, especially appreciated in Africa and Asia.

India is now the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of pepper.

Peppers are used both fresh and dried. To preserve the raw material for a long period of time, it is dried in the sun. In this case, the fruits become darker and wrinkled. After that, the seeds are removed, and the dried pulp is ground and kept in a tightly closed container, in a dark place.

Sometimes peppers are simply dried by hanging them in a dry place, which also allows them to be stored longer.

Another way to prepare for the future is freezing. To do this, chili is first fried, and only then frozen without removing the skin.

• It is known that red pepper is considered more spicy than green.
• Depending on the state of the fruit (fresh or dried), peppers can be called differently. So, for example, jalapeno, in dried form, is called morita. And poblano pepper is called ancho.

As you understand, the degree of hotness of all chili peppers is very different. You can clearly see this in the next photo.

100 grams of fresh red pepper contains:

Capsicum red chili peppers are rich in beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, D and group B, in particular B6.

Of the trace elements, they include:

• Iron;
• Magnesium;
• sodium;
• Potassium.

In addition, water, sugar, dietary fiber, essential oils, fatty oils and capsaicin are present.

• a strong pain reliever;
• antiviral;
• warming;
• antimicrobial;
• diaphoretic;
• stimulating the process of digestion.

You can learn more about chili peppers in the following video.

Care must be taken when handling chilies, as some types are so hot that they can cause burns. In no case do not touch your eyes while working with it and wash your hands and objects thoroughly when finished.

Due to the high content of capsaicin in some varieties of chili, its use is contraindicated in the presence of the following health problems:

• Gastritis, pancreatitis;
• Ulcers of the stomach and duodenum;
• Diseases of the kidneys and liver;
• allergic reactions;
• Individual intolerance.

Hot pepper is one of the most popular spices in cooking.

It is used in various forms, for most dishes:

• it is often included in mixtures of spices;
• goes well with savory, garlic, cilantro, bay leaf, basil, etc.;
• fresh - great for pickles, soups and vegetable dishes;
• ground - added to sauces, dressings, sour-milk drinks, meat, fish and marinades.

Asian markets abound with chili peppers of various colors and sizes, in fresh and dried form. They are an important component of almost all the dishes of these peoples. One of the popular dishes of the locals is lightly fried fruits mixed with homemade cheese. Chili is also used as a spice alone, or in a mixture of seasonings, to flavor and give a spicy taste to food.

Chili is present in many cuisines. For example, in Italy, arrabiata sauce is popular, with these hot peppers. Hungary is famous for its famous paprikash. In China, they are used in the classic Gongbao dish and beyond. Mexicans use them to make spicy sauces for meat and poultry, and even make chili desserts. In Thai and Lao cuisine, it is the main ingredient in soups and salads.

In addition to the fruits, the leaves of almost all types of chili peppers, which do not have strong bitterness, are also edible. They are widely used in India, the Philippines, Korea and Japan.

We offer you to try several culinary recipes with these hot peppers.

Grind half a kilogram of bell peppers and a tomato in mashed potatoes. Add two tablespoons of salt, one tablespoon of paprika and one teaspoon of suneli hops to the mass.

Crushed in a blender six cloves of garlic and fresh horseradish root in the amount of 25 gr.mix with vegetables. Lastly, add 4-5 pieces of finely chopped chili pepper.

We defend the resulting seasoning for half an hour before direct use. If you want to leave adjika for future use, it is recommended to transfer it to sterilized jars and roll it up in the usual way. For long-term storage, more horseradish and chili should be used.

About one kilogram of chicken, cut into small pieces, fry until golden brown. We make a mixture of 4 tbsp. spoons of soy sauce and 2 tbsp. spoons of cognac (or other strong alcohol) and simmer the bird in it over low heat until the moisture has completely evaporated.

Grind the onion head, two chili peppers (or to your taste) and four bell peppers. Add a tablespoon of grated ginger, two anise stars to the vegetables and spread the resulting mass to the meat for further frying. In the meantime, dilute half a tablespoon of starch (or rice flour) in water, pour into a dish and simmer everything until the bird is ready.

One chili pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped. We put it on a preheated pan, and in the meantime, wash the shrimp (standard package 650 gr.) And spread them to the pepper. Fry on both sides, salt to taste and add six crushed garlic cloves. Pour in a glass of dry white wine and steam over medium heat until the moisture is completely evaporated. Then add a couple of tablespoons of finely chopped parsley, mix well and remove from heat.

Boil spaghetti (750 grams) and rinse with cold water. We spread them to the shrimp, mix and set to simmer on a slow fire for about ten minutes.The dish is ready!

You can learn about the beneficial properties of chili peppers from the video.

Due to the high content of capsaicin in chili (namely, hot red pepper varieties), it is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. It is very effective in ointments and patches. Fruit tinctures are good for improving digestion and stimulating appetite.

They are also treated for:

• Colds;
• Headache;
• sinusitis;
• Arthritis;
• Pulmonary diseases;
• kidney infections;
• Normalize blood circulation in the lower extremities (hot baths with pepper solution).

Chili extract is used for gas mixtures in pepper spray, as a means of self-defense.

Chili can be grown both at home on the windowsill and in the garden. But for this it is necessary to create special conditions for them: peppers are very demanding on the sun and heat. It is important to water regularly and periodically feed with special fertilizers.