The Mediterranean Summer festival at Kew ran during the summer of
2007. Chilli Peppers
Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens
Chilli
Chillies are actually related to potatoes and tomatoes (they are in the family Solanaceae) but taste extremely different!
Red chillies are rich in the vitamins A, B and C. They are also packed with potassium, magnesium and iron. Chillies have long been used for pain relief as they are known to destroy our pain messengers: extracts of chilli peppers are used for alleviating the pain of arthritis, headaches, burns and neuralgia. It is also claimed they have the power to boost your immune system and lower cholesterol. They are also used to help kill parasites in your gut!
There are plenty of chilli sauces and spices on the supermarket shelves, and some advertise their strength using the Scoville Scale (shown as an SHU number). This is named after Wilbur Scoville, who, in 1912, developed a way of measuring the strength of chillies by their capsaicin content. Pure capsaicin records at 15,000,000 SHU; bell peppers rate at 0 while jalapenos score 3,000 - 6,000 SHU. The Guinness Book of Records states the hottest chilli in the world is Bhut Jolokia, a naturally occurring hybrid of Capsicum chinense, native to NE India; it measures a scorching 1,001,304 SHU - that's one hot chilli!