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Worry You'll Get Fat Because of Eating So Much Chillies Food ? Don't Worry, Just Come To Dream To Be Slim !

Definition

History

      It's not surprising that chili peppers can trace their history to Central and South America , regions whose cuisines are renowned for their hot and spicy flavors. Chili peppers have been cultivated in these regions for more than seven thousand years, first as a decorative item and later as a foodstuff and medicine.
      It was not until the 15th and 16th centuries that chili peppers were introduced to the rest of the world. Christopher Columbus encountered them on his explorations of the Caribbean Islands and brought them back to Europe . There, they were used as a substitute for black pepper, which was very expensive since it had to be imported from Asia .
      Explorer Ferdinand Magellan is credited with introducing chili peppers into Africa and Asia , continents that have since incorporated them into their cuisines and pharmacopoeias. Chili peppers are now grown on all continents; however, China , Turkey , Nigeria , Spain and Mexico are among the largest commercial producers.

Description

      Finger length fresh red chilies are preferred to unripe green chilies but in Sichuan cooking it is the dried red chili that reigns supreme. I chuan chili paste is also made from dried red chilies, soaked, a ground with oil, but any Chinese chili paste may be used. Chili oil is also common to Sichuan cuisine and can be purchased from Chinese supermarket.
      Come in many shapes, flavor, "hotness.", and sizes. Fresh green and red finger-length chilies are moderately hot. Tiny red, green, or yellow-orange chili padi are very hot. Dried chilies are usually cut into lengths and soaked in warm water to soften before use. Chili powder is made from ground dried chilies. It’s good substitute for dried chilies -- ½ tsp chili powder for 1 dried chili.
      Cayenne , habañero, chipotle, jalapeño, anaheim and ancho are just some of the popular varieties available. Ground chili peppers are used to make chili powder, cayenne powder and paprika. Chili peppers are used as a food and seasoning and revered for their medicinal qualities.

Varieties of chilies:

Habenero (or Habanero)
Habeneros require a long growing season. It can take them up to 110 days for some varieties to mature and start to set fruit. It is not recommended for these chilies to be started by seed. Habeneros, also spelled habaneros, are a very hot chili. Be careful when handling these chilies even before cutting them from the plant. The use of gloves is a good recommendation. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water completely before you touch anything else. They are anywhere from 100,000 Scoville Units to over 500,000 Scoville Units. These chilies are usually the ones used in the hottest chili sauces available.

Jalapeno
The jalapeno is a very popular chili. It is used in many salsas and sauces. It is much milder than the habenero and is perfect for those who cannot withstand the heat of the habenero. Dried jalapenos are commonly called chipotles and are used in seasonings and sauces.

Cayenne
Cayenne chilies are generally dried up and used as a powder in cooking. It can be ground up and used in a spray to protect other plants from pests. The fruits are anywhere from four to six inches long and can give quite a lot of fruits if the growing conditions are great. There are different cayenne chilies ranging from medium heat to hot, anywhere from 50,000 to about 75,000 Scoville units.

Poblano
Poblano chilies are very popular in Mexican cuisine. They are often called anchos but generally that term is reserved for the dried versions of the poblano. Poblanos are popular as stuffed chilies because of their shape. They are much like bell peppers in shape and are very mild in the heat ranging from 1000 to 3000 Scoville Units. The red version is generally hotter than the green stage.

Serrano
The serrano is used in salsa quite often. It has a medium heat to it ranging from 7000 to 25,000 Scoville Units. They can be frozen easily. The fruits look similar to jalapenos but are a bit slimmer and smaller.

Scotch Bonnet
The scotch bonnet chili is a hot chili. The scotch bonnet is the chili that is common in Jamaican jerk seasonings. They are normally harvested when they are still green but can range from green to yellow to orange. Some refer to the scotch bonnet as hotter than the habenero. This opinion varies from place to place. They range from 150,000 to 325,000 Scoville Units which can place them higher than the average habenero but some habeneros can reach up to over 500,000 Scoville Units.