January 16th in International Hot & Spicy Day. So today we decided to add a little spice to your general knowledge about Chillies!
1. Archaeological evidence suggests that people have been using hot spices in their recipes for over 6000 years.
Did you know that the hottest chili pepper in the world is the Naga Jolokia? Also known as the Ghost Pepper! On average, one of these peppers is over 170 times spicier than a jalapeno pepper!
2. A green chili pod has as much vitamin C as six oranges
3. Amongst the world’s most common foods by quantity, chilies come second only to salt. In addition to the huge quantities of it consumed, it also wins the prize for highest quantity of vitamin C – higher than any other edible vegetable.
4. Some cultures put chili powder in their shoes to keep their feet warm
5. A king in the worlds of food, medicine and beauty treatments, chilies form the base of massage oils and anti-cellulite creams, and its powder makes great anti-ageing masks and preparations which can enliven dull hair.
6. The first chili cook-off took place in 1967 in Terlinga, Texas, a border town about 400 miles west of chili’s alleged birthplace, San Antonio. It ended in a tie between a native Texan and a New Yorker, but chili cook-offs are still held there today
7. In Spring 2011, Trinidad Scorpion took the title of the world’s hottest chili. The Trinidad Scorpion Butch T was created in Australia by the grower who lent it his name: Butch Taylor. Today he’s waiting to claim his place in the Guinness Book of World Records. It is practically impossible to put one in your mouth.
8. Chili pepper color is a function of ripeness. Green peppers are usually not fully ripe and the same pepper could be green, yellow, orange, or red depending on its level of ripeness
9. The first documented recipe for chili con carne is dated September 2, 1519 according to Wikipedia
10. A number of variations of chili have become popularized over the years. Texas-style chili doesn’t contain beans; vegetarian chili (aka chili sin carne) typically replaces meat with corn and other vegetables; chili verde uses pork, tomatillos and green chili peppers in lieu of beef and tomatoes; and white chili uses white beans and chicken or turkey.
11. Whether orange or green, the Jalapeno is the king of Mexican cooking. It takes its name from Jalapa, the capital of the Mexican state of Veracruz.
12. Japanese samurai used chili peppers in order to reduce the amount of fear they felt: eating them as part of a ritual meal before battles made them feel invincible. Even those who practice karate often eat them before a fight.
13. Chili pepper extract is a medicinal marvel: it combats prostate cancer, herpes and diabetes, and is a natural painkiller, helping those suffering from arthritis and headaches. It also speeds up our metabolism.
14. Mexico was home to the first chili peppers, and today 90% of all chilies cultivated and consumed the world over are of Mexican origin: from those used in Indian curries to Hungarian paprika, and in favorite recipes based on the red fruit from China to the Mediterranean.
15. The green chili pepper has been growing in the United States – what is now New Mexico – for more than 400 years.