Download Episode Today we’re diving into the story of one of the most versatile fruits that has made its mark on countless cuisines around the world - the chili pepper. And yes, I said fruit. I’m not sure how the chili pepper escaped the heated fruit or vegetable debate that tomatoes are so famous for causing, but like the tomato, chilies may be treated like vegetables but are indeed the fruits of flowering plants. So where did chilies get their start, and how and when did they spread to become one of the most commonly used ingredients in the world? Today on Simmer - stick around as we unpack the story of the mighty chili pepper. Chili peppers come in hundreds of varieties, from smoky chipotle to flaming hot habaneros, sweet bell peppers and tiny but heat packed bird’s eye chiles. Other chilies you may have never heard of include wrinkle 273, the wonder hot, and mundu - all of which are types of red chilies produced in India. Speaking of India, chili peppers seem right at home in all sorts of asian cuisine, whether it’s ground into curry paste, chopped and sautéed in a noodle dish, or dried and used as pepper flakes. It’s hard to imagine then, that chilies have only been in the Old World since the 1500s. In case it’s been awhile since your last World History class, the Old World refers to Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were the parts of the world known to Europeans before contact with the Americas. The New World then - you guessed it - is referring to the Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas. So, chilies have only been in Asia since the 1500s?! Crazy, right? It blew my mind, too. What did the cuisines of Asia possibly look like before Southeast Asia had the chili paste Sambal Oelek, or before kimchi incorporated red pepper flakes?! Before chilies started their worldwide journey, the main ingredients for spicy food were expensive spices such as black pepper and sichuan pepper - both species that are not related to the chili pepper. You might be wondering, why is both the spice and the fruit called a pepper, if they’re not even the same species?! More later on who to thank for the confusing linguistic mess of the pepper spice versus the chili pepper. We know that the chili pepper is from the Americas, but where and when did it start? And how did it make its way to global food fame? The chili pepper - known to many by its latin name capsicum - has been present in the New World pretty much as long as civilizations have existed. Botanists have pinpointed the origins of the chili pepper to be in the mountains of Brazil and Bolivia, although the exact location has yet to be determined. The first wild chilies were small, red, and round, preferred more by birds than humans. With the help of both birds and indigenous people, this wild predecessor to the domestic chili pepper spread throughout South and Central America. The wild chili pepper was domesticated as early as 3500 BCE at least five times by at least five different groups of people in South America, leading to the five original domesticated species of Capsicum. To give you some context, the Ancient Greek civilization emerged around 800 BCE, some 2300 years after. When European explorers began arriving in the Americas in the 15th century, so began the trade routes between the Old World and the New, and many foods became popular commodities overseas. Potatoes, squash, and corn are just a few examples of other New World crops that became integrated into Old World diets. Christopher Columbus may not have actually been the one to discover North America, but he is credited with introducing the chili to Europe, while the Portuguese trade routes played a big role bringing it to the rest of the Old World. In classic Christopher Columbus fashion, he attempted to draw a comparison with the black pepper from India and called capsicums “the pepper of the Indies.” When I was doing research for this episode I found a book with the title “Pepper,” which turned out to be a history of the black pepper plant, such has the confusion between these two different peppers lasted until today. Thanks, Christopher Columbus. The arrival of the chili in Europe and other parts of the world brought a much needed shift in the economics of spices. Until this time, spices were rare and expensive, largely coming from India and South Asia with the black pepper plant at the core of the luxury spice market. The use of the chili pepper was quickly adopted into cuisines all over the world as a much more affordable option than black pepper. The chili pepper truly was the spice of the people. By now, we have discovered where the chili came from, how it physically spread so quickly to the rest of the world thanks to trade routes, and that it was quickly adopted by many because of its affordability. But wait, there’s more. One of the other reasons the chili spread so rapidly was its medicinal properties and health benefits. English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper wrote in 1652 that cayenne was a violent fruit that could “help digestion, provoke urine, relieve toothache, preserve the teeth from rottenness, comfort a cold stomach, expel the stone from the kidney, and take away the dimness of sight.” Even today we still see cayenne being used for medicinal or health purposes - ever heard of the cayenne pepper and lemon cleanse? Yeah, it’s a thing. The magical compound that has given rise to the variety of uses for the chili pepper? It’s called capsaicin, and it is one of the most prominent health aspects of the chili pepper. Although it is an irritant that has wreaked havoc on anyone who has rubbed their eyes after chopping jalapeños, it is for the same reason that many enjoy chilies. The consumption of capsaicin releases endorphins, which explains the thrill we may feel when eating spicy foods. No wonder there are so many ridiculous spicy food challenges! Capsaicin is also often used in ointment and rubs used for muscle and joint pain associated with arthritis. This little miracle compound also has antibacterial properties, and food cooked with chiles has the potential to keep longer without spoiling! Chili peppers are also rich in vitamin C, and contain a variety of other essential nutrients. Today, a quarter of the world’s population in countries all over the globe enjoy chilies on a daily basis. Just let that sink in for a second - one person out of every four on the planet eats chilies every day. They are found in all sorts of cuisines including Mexican, Jamaican, Ethiopian, South African, Korean, Chinese, and many many more. India is currently the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of chilies. Although around 90% of India’s chilies are consumed in country, they still manage to export 80-100,000 tons of chilies per year. Chilies are packed with flavor, they created a cheaper way to spice up dishes, and they have a variety of health benefits and medicinal uses. It’s no wonder the chili pepper is so popular! Because there are so many varieties, there is a flavor and spice level for almost everyone! What are some of your favorite chili pepper dishes? Check out my list below. That’s all for today on Simmer, I hope you enjoyed the story of the chili pepper. Thanks for listening! If you like this podcast, share it with your friends! You can also head on over to itunes to rate Simmer, and leave a review while you’re there. Every review will help Simmer to grow. What food are you interested in learning about? Let me know on the contact page. Untiil next time, Simmer on! My favorite recipes with chilies: Kimchi stew Josh's (brother) Pulled Pork Tacos - Dishing Up Washington by Jess Thomson (sister) - blog here Butter Chicken Coconut Curry Noodle Soup Sources History http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmexican.html#chile Bosland, P.W. 1996. Capsicums: Innovative uses of an ancient crop. p. 479-487. In: J. Janick (ed.), Progress in new crops. ASHS Press, Arlington, VA. https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/V3-479.html#HISTORY http://www.chileplanet.eu/Origin-story.html http://www.legalnomads.com/history-chili-peppers/ Health Benefits http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/chili-peppers.html http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/chili-peppers.html India http://www.agrocrops.com/red-dry-chillies.php Are Chilies Fruits? http://www.pepperscale.com/what-is-a-chili-pepper/ Music: http://www.purple-planet.com
