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Chillies speed up the metabolism & burn up calories - assisting in weight loss. When it comes to chillies, size does matter. Usually, the smaller the chilli, the hotter it is. If chilli gets in the eye, wash it out with cold milk. Korean culture says that chillies help to keep the skin looking youthful. Chillies varieties
Scoville Units measure the amount of capsaicin (the chemical that provides the heat) in a chilli.
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Capsaicin is located in the white tissue that holds the seeds. It is often rubbed onto the seeds, which is why they are usually hotter than the flesh. Cool weather, or too much water or nitrogen can slow the development of capsaicin Mammals get a burning sensation from capsaicin but birds do not. Seeds pass through the bird's gut intact and get spread in new areas. Cool, eh? Blue Kitchen uses many varieties of chilli, including the red & green Cayenne type, Yellow Fatalie, Pequin, Scotch Bonnet, Thai Hot, red Bird's Eye and Red Savina Habanero. The nutritional value of the fruit also increases with the age of the chilli berry up to maturity. Chillies have three times as much vitamin C as that available in oranges, and more vitamin A than carrots.
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Chilli spices and pastes provide the basic flavours and fragrances of cuisines the world over, can create harmony and balance in your diet, and help instil passion and pride in your cooking.
Pequin Chillies on the bush (Photo: Ken Ball ) Chillies belong to the Solanaceae family (the same family as potatoes and tomatoes) and are members of the Capsicum genus (from the Greek - kapto - to bite, due to the burning sensation when eating it). They are known to have been grown in Bolivia and Peru over 7,000 years ago, and used by the Mayans in their cooking 3,000 years ago. Columbus took chillies back to Spain in 1493, mistaking them for black pepper, hence the name - chilli pepper. Within a century, they had spread from the Americas right around the world and by the 18th Century were a cornerstone ingredient in the cooking of southern Europe and Asia.
Assorted chilli pods There are hundreds of varieties of chilli and are sometimes referred to as hot peppers or by the name of their individual variety, such as bird's eye, Scotch Bonnet, jalapeno, Chinese, cayenne etc., some being hotter than others. Cookery books from Mexico, the Caribbean, the American South-West, the Mediterranean countries and Asia attest to their cultivation and use. Chillies are available fresh or dried, and are usually red or green, long and pointy, but sometimes purple, yellow or chocolate, and tiny and/or round. Chilli berries are green before they ripen to red. A ripe chilli has a different flavour to a green chilli, just as we recognise the difference in flavour between a green and red sweet capsicum pepper. Their size and colour are not a reliable guide to their strength, although usually, the smaller the chilli - the hotter it will be.
Cayenne chillies on the bush BLUE KITCHEN grows most of its own chillies. the dominant type being one developed over the past 25 years from original Bird's-Eye stock smuggled from Hungary in the 1950's. This chilli now resembles the Cayenne type, but is longer, hotter and fleshier with not too many seeds, offering distinct flavour nuances and consistant heat intensity. We use other varieties, including the yellow Fatalie Habanero, Pequin, Scotch Bonnet, Thai Hot, the sweet Bell type and Red Savina Habanero in our sauces and pastes, and we are constantly on the lookout for types suitable for our growing environments. Comparative to many commercial products, BLUE KITCHEN sauces contain a high proportion of the chilli ingredient. Great care is taken in the selection of the chilli variety with on-going commitment to the development of product integrity.
More Cayenne chillies ready to harvest A chilli's heat, or pungency - the capsaicin level - is affected not only by variety, but also by the climatic and environmental conditions experienced during cultivation. Cool weather, or too much water or nitrogen can slow the development of capsaicin, which begins to show when the berry is about 4 weeks old, and quickly increases when the fruit is mature. The nutritional value of the fruit also increases with the age of the berry up to maturity. Capsaicin is located in the white tissue that holds the seeds. It is often rubbed onto the seeds as well, which is why they are usually hotter than the flesh. Scraping the white veins and seeds from the chilli will reduce the heat intensity. When food spiced with chillies becomes overpoweringly hot, the natural reaction is to run for a glass of water - however, water does not dissolve capsaicin. The best remedy is milk, vinegar or alcohol. If chilli gets in the eye, wash it out with cold milk. Nutritionally, chillies contain three times as much Vitamin C as oranges, and twice as much Vitamin A as carrots. Even though they can burn your mouth out, upset some stomachs, or make you hiccup, chillies aid digestion and help kill internal parasites. Korean culture says that chillies help in weight loss and in keeping the skin looking youthful. Chillies are addictive - eating chillies increases production of endorphins, and consumption of large amounts of chilli can produce a "chilli high" or sense of relief or pleasure. ©
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