LATEST NEWS: Chilli Peppers
Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens
Chilli
Native to Mexico and South America, chillies have been grown for at least 5,000 years!
Christopher Columbus is credited as one of the first Europeans to 'discover' chillies whilst he was exploring the Caribbean. They were brought back to Spain in 1493 by the ship's doctor Diego Alvarez Chanca who wrote about their medicinal properties. Columbus called them peppers because they had a hot taste similar to black pepper (Piper nigrum). Spanish and Portuguese sailors introduced the plant and its fruits to many parts of the world including China, Japan and the Philippines. They included chillies in their diet as they are packed with Vitamin C and helped prevent scurvy. The popularity of using chillies quickly spread across Europe: they were in use in Italy by 1526.
Today you can buy a whole range of raw chillies from the scorching bird's eye chilli to the more palatable Anaheim and pimento. There are also chilli spices (paprika and cayenne) and many sauces (Tabasco and salsa).