Chillies and pods
Capsicum in every heat and colour, and the pods of cardamom and vanilla.
Chillies are the fruit of Capsicum plants from the Americas. Fresh or dried, whole or ground, they bring heat, colour and fruity flavour to cooking on every continent.
What they are
Capsicum species were domesticated in the Americas thousands of years ago. After 1492 the plant spread across the world within a few generations. Heat comes from capsaicin, mostly in the white pith and seeds, and is measured on the Scoville scale. Paprika, cayenne, Kashmiri chilli, ancho and habanero are all chillies.
How they are used
Chillies are eaten fresh, dried, smoked, pickled, or made into pastes and sauces. Dried chillies are toasted, soaked and ground in Mexico, while flakes like Aleppo pepper and gochugaru go straight onto food. A small amount gives colour with little heat, and a large amount gives fire.
Buying and keeping
Dried chillies should be supple and glossy, not brittle and pale. Store them in a closed jar. Ground chilli fades in colour and should be used within months. Wash hands after handling hot chillies and avoid touching the eyes.
Chilli on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
ðŸ‡ðŸ‡º HungaryCherry peppercseresznyepaprika
A small Capsicum annuum cultivar from Hungary, used for paprika and preserves.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreCapsicum annuum
A flowering plant producing berries of many colors and heat levels, from sweet bell peppers to fiery chilies.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Cherry pepper: James Lee, CC BY 2.0, source
- Capsicum annuum: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain, source