Sometimes called the chilli
pepper, the chili plant is
native to Central American
region where it was used as
the chief spice ingredients
in Mexican cuisine for centuries. It was
introduced to the rest of the world by
Spanish and Portuguese explorers
during 16th and 17th centuries and now
grown widely in many parts of the world
as an important commercial crop. The
hotness of chili is measured in "Scoville
heat units" (SHU). On the Scoville scale,
a sweet bell pepper scores 0, a jalapeño
pepper around 2,500-4,000 units, and
Mexican habañeros have 200,000 to
500,000 units. Chilies contain the alkaloid
compound, capsaicin, which gives strong
spicy pungent character.
Their colours range from red, orange,
yellow and green with the occasional
purple one about. They seem to offer
health benefits, such as increased
protecion from bacterial and viral infection,
protection against heart disease and the
alleviation of heart disease as well as a
reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes. But most
of us like them because they add a kick to
your average dinner. They have famously
made into hot sauces such as the brand
name Tobasco or Peri Peri sauce, often
found lurking in the back of cupboards
and frequently seeing daylight when the
barbecue is dusted off.
Despite the fame of chillis from around
the world, it's possible to grow them in the
UK. Hot to trot, the chilli plant is not only
very ornamental with dark green leaves
and deep red fruits from the capsicum
plant family, but it provide a supply of fresh
chillies for use in the kitchen to perk up
your dishes. continued over
Chilli Nutrition Facts
Per 100g of chilli (which
no one in their right mind
would ever eat), there are
40 calories, 2g of protein
and 9g of carbohydrate.
Also contains a large dose
of Vitamin C as well as
a dose of Vitamin A and
Vitamin B6.