| Where did peppers come from? | | | | Poblano |
| | | | |
| One of the most common genuses of peppers, | | | | Habanero |
| known as the capsicum, is thought to have | | | | |
| been in existence millions of years ago in | | | | Cubanelle |
| present-day Bolivia, according to the Chicago | | | | |
| Botanic Garden's Information and Resources. | | | | Chipotle |
| But, the first known cultivation of peppers | | | | |
| happened in Mexico and Central, as well as | | | | Jalapeno |
| South America 10,000 years ago. The probable | | | | |
| spread of these crops from Bolivia to these | | | | Serrano |
| areas is attributed to birds. The capsicums | | | | |
| existed mainly in the Americas until about | | | | Mariachi |
| 1600. Christopher Columbus' voyages were | | | | |
| helpful in spreading capsicum peppers | | | | Aside from the different colored bell peppers |
| throughout the world. | | | | used in stirfry, many of these other peppers |
| | | | are considered hot peppers. |
| The original peppers were tiny and round, | | | | |
| unlike most of today's peppers which are long | | | | How can you tell how hot a pepper is? |
| and larger. | | | | |
| | | | The range of spiciness for peppers is |
| What can I do with peppers? | | | | measured in scoville units. Wilbur Scoville |
| | | | developed a scale to help determine this very |
| Most commonly, peppers have been used to | | | | issue and measure pepper pungency in 1912. |
| spice up generally boring foods like rice or | | | | The higher the number of scoville units, the |
| corn. Through the years though, people have | | | | hotter the pepper. Here's a basic Scoville |
| come up with a whole slew of uses for peppers | | | | Scale. that shows habaneros trumping |
| from making pepper jelly, to using ornamental | | | | chipotles and jalapenos as the most commonly |
| peppers for garlands. Here's a list of the | | | | known hottest pepper. |
| most interesting as well as some of the more | | | | |
| common uses for peppers: | | | | Health Effects |
| | | | |
| Pickled Peppers | | | | Regular pepper consumption is thought to have |
| | | | both good and bad effects on one's health. |
| Pepper Jelly - Dried Apricot Jalapeno Jelly | | | | One of the most clear effects of eating |
| | | | peppers is what it does for congestion. |
| Roasted Peppers | | | | Eating peppers, especially those hot ones, |
| | | | will help clear up your nasal passages in no |
| Adding Peppers to pasta dishes | | | | times (as will most spicy foods!) |
| | | | |
| Hot Sauce | | | | According to a University study, consuming |
| | | | peppers regularly can help body control their |
| Pepper Garlands/Decorations | | | | insulin, which would be very beneficial for |
| | | | diabetics. Other studies show though that |
| Using peppers in stirfry | | | | pepper digestion can increase the risks of |
| | | | stomach cancer, but the definite answer |
| Pepper vinegar | | | | remains unclear. Research has also been done |
| | | | linking peppers to helping stop the spread of |
| Pepper spray (animal deterrent for plants) | | | | prostrate cancer in some men. |
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| What different types of peppers are there? | | | | Pepper Recipes (See for the following:) |
| | | | |
| There all sorts of classifications for | | | | Pepper Sauce |
| peppers. There is the scientific | | | | |
| classification method that uses the genus and | | | | Basic Salsa |
| species name: The most commonly known and | | | | |
| cultivated genus of peppers is the capsicum, | | | | Salsa Cruda |
| whereas the five most common species of | | | | |
| peppers (all within the capsicum category) | | | | Crowd Pleasing Chili |
| include: chinense, frutescens, pubescens, | | | | |
| annum, and baccatum. All of these types of | | | | Roast Beef and Red Pepper Sandwiches |
| peppers are also labelled chillies. | | | | |
| | | | Impossibly Easy Roasted Red Peppers and Feta |
| There is the usage method which categories | | | | Cheese Pie |
| various peppers into hot, sweet, or | | | | |
| ornamental. And then, there is the | | | | Tangy Lemon Pepper Shrimp |
| location-classified method that is what gives | | | | |
| some peppers its actual name. | | | | Stuffed Peppers |
| | | | |
| Here's a basic list of some of the varieties | | | | Pepper Herb Grilling Rub |
| of the mentioned species of peppers you might | | | | |
| see in your local grocery stores: | | | | Sources: |
| | | | |
| Bell pepper | | | | Chicago Botanic Gardens |
| | | | |
| Anaheim pepper | | | | The Scoville Scale |
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| Fresno | | | | TheChilliKing. |
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