Chili peppers originated in Mexico.[3] After the Columbian Exchange, many cultivars of chili pepper spread across the world, used in both food and medicine. Chilies were brought to Asia by Portuguese navigators during the 16th century.
The chili pepper (also chile pepper or chilli pepper, from Nahuatl chīlli Nahuatl pronunciation: [ˈt͡ʃiːli] ( listen)) is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae.[1] In Australia, Britain, India,[2] Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and in other Asian countries, it is usually known simply as chilli.
Worldwide, some 3.8 million hectares (about 9.4 million acres) of land produce 33 million tons of chili peppers (2010 data). India is the world's biggest producer, consumer and exporter of chili peppers.[4] Guntur in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh produces 30% of all the chilies produced in India.[5] Andhra Pradesh, as a whole, contributes 75% of India's chili exports.
Chili peppers have been a part of the human diet in the Americas since at least 7500 BCE. The most recent research shows that chili peppers were domesticated more than 6000 years ago in Mexico, in the region that extends across southern Puebla and northern Oaxaca to southeastern Veracruz,[6] and were one of the first self-pollinating crops cultivated in Mexico, Central and parts of South America.[7]
Christopher Columbus was one of the first Europeans to encounter them (in the Caribbean), and called them "peppers" because they, like black and white pepper of the Piper genus known in Europe, have a spicy hot taste unlike other foodstuffs. Upon their introduction into Europe, chilies were grown as botanical curiosities in the gardens of Spanish and Portuguese monasteries. Christian monks experimented with the culinary potential of chili and discovered that their pungency offered a substitute for black peppercorns, which at the time were so costly that they were used as legal currency in some countries.[9]
Chilies were cultivated around the globe after Indigenous people shared them with travelers.[10][11] Diego Álvarez Chanca, a physician on Columbus' second voyage to the West Indies in 1493, brought the first chili peppers to Spain and first wrote about their medicinal effects in 1494.
The spread of chili peppers to Asia was most likely a natural consequence of its introduction to Portuguese traders (Lisbon was a common port of call for Spanish ships sailing to and from the Americas) who, aware of its trade value, would have likely promoted its commerce in the Asian spice trade routes then dominated by Portuguese and Arab traders.[12] It was introduced in India by the Portuguese towards the end of 15th century.[13] Today chilies are an integral part of South Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines.
The chili pepper features heavily in the cuisine of the Goan region of India, which was the site of a Portuguese colony (e.g., vindaloo, an Indian interpretation of a Portuguese dish). Chili peppers journeyed from India,[14] through Central Asia and Turkey, to Hungary, where they became the national spice in the form of paprika.
An alternate, although not so plausible account (no obvious correlation between its dissemination in Asia and Spanish presence or trade routes), defended mostly by Spanish historians, was that from Mexico, at the time a Spanish colony, chili peppers spread into their other colony the Philippines and from there to India, China, Indonesia. To Japan, it was brought by the Portuguese missionaries in 1542, and then later, it was brought to Korea.
Chili pepper pods, which are berries, are used fresh or dried. Chilies are dried to preserve them for long periods of time, which may also be done by pickling.
Dried chilies are often ground into powders, although many Mexican dishes including variations on chiles rellenos use the entire chili. Dried whole chilies may be reconstituted before grinding to a paste. The chipotle is the smoked, dried, ripe jalapeño.
Many fresh chilies such as poblano have a tough outer skin that does not break down on cooking. Chilies are sometimes used whole or in large slices, by roasting, or other means of blistering or charring the skin, so as not to entirely cook the flesh beneath. When cooled, the skins will usually slip off easily.
The leaves of every species of Capsicum are edible. Though almost all other Solanaceous crops have toxins in their leaves, chili peppers do not.[citation needed] The leaves, which are mildly bitter and nowhere near as hot as the fruit, are cooked as greens in Filipino cuisine, where they are called dahon ng sili (literally "chili leaves"). They are used in the chicken soup tinola.[28] In Korean cuisine, the leaves may be used in kimchi.[29] In Japanese cuisine, the leaves are cooked as greens, and also cooked in tsukudani style for preservation.
Chili is by far the most important fruit in Bhutan. Local markets are never without chilies in different colors and sizes, in fresh and dried form. Bhutanese call this crop ema (in Dzongkha) or solo (in Sharchop). Chili is a staple fruit in Bhutan; the ema datsi recipe is entirely made of chili mixed with local cheese. Chili is also an important ingredient in almost all curries and food recipes in the country.
In India, most households always keep a stack of fresh hot green chilies at hand, and use them to flavor most curries and dry dishes. It is typically lightly fried with oil in the initial stages of preparation of the dish. Some states in India, such as Rajasthan, make entire dishes only by using spices and chilies.
Chilies are present in many cuisines. Some notable dishes other than the ones mentioned elsewhere in this article include:
Arrabbiata sauce from Italy is a tomato-based sauce for pasta always including dried hot chilies.
Puttanesca sauce is tomato-based with olives, capers, anchovy and, sometimes, chilies.
Paprikash from Hungary uses significant amounts of mild, ground, dried chilies, known as paprika, in a braised chicken dish.
Chiles en nogada from the Puebla region of Mexico uses fresh mild chilies stuffed with meat and covered with a creamy nut-thickened sauce.
Curry dishes usually contain fresh or dried chillies.
Kung pao chicken (Mandarin Chinese: 宫保鸡丁 gōng bǎo jī dīng) from the Sichuan region of China uses small hot dried chilies briefly fried in oil to add spice to the oil then used for frying.
Mole poblano from the city of Puebla in Mexico uses several varieties of dried chilies, nuts, spices, and fruits to produce a thick, dark sauce for poultry or other meats.
Nam phrik are traditional Thai chili pastes and sauces, prepared with chopped fresh or dry chilies, and additional ingredients such as fish sauce, lime juice, and herbs, but also fruit, meat or seafood.
'Nduja, a more typical example of Italian spicy specialty, from the region of Calabria, is a soft pork sausage made "hot" by the addition of the locally grown variety of jalapeño chili.
Paprykarz szczeciński is a Polish fish paste with rice, onion, tomato concentrate, vegetable oil, chili pepper powder and other spices.
Sambal terasi or sambal belacan is a traditional Indonesian and Malay hot condiment made by frying a mixture of mainly pounded dried chillies, with garlic, shallots, and fermented shrimp paste. It is customarily served with rice dishes and is especially popular when mixed with crunchy pan-roasted ikan teri or ikan bilis (sun-dried anchovies), when it is known as sambal teri or sambal ikan bilis. Various sambal variants existed in Indonesian archipelago, among others are sambal badjak, sambal oelek, sambal pete (prepared with green stinky beans) and sambal pencit (prepared with unripe green mango).
Som tam, a green papaya salad from Thai and Lao cuisine, traditionally has, as a key ingredient, a fistful of chopped fresh hot Thai chili, pounded in a mortar.
Fresh or dried chilies are often used to make hot sauce, a liquid condiment—usually bottled when commercially available—that adds spice to other dishes. Hot sauces are found in many cuisines including harissa from North Africa, chili oil from China (known as rāyu in Japan), and sriracha from Thailand.
I see t a lot of effort into studying Mexican culture just for a girl.
If you were going to go on a talk about Latin America’s startup ecosystem, one of the first countries that you bring up would be Mexico. Why? As the second-largest country in Latin America, Mexico has consistently led Latin America in innovation. It’s rich elongated history and constantly evolving culture has not only had an impact on the Americas but the rest of the world.
You might not view Mexico as technological power, but the inventiveness and resourcefulness of the Mexicans have led to some impressive feat including inventions that would go on to change the world.
SOURCE: THE WORLD'S LARGEST CRYSTALS: MEXICO'S CAVE OF THE GIANT SELENITE CRYSTALS
As expected, today we are going to explore some of the most important inventions made by Mexicans and look at how we might use them every day.
1. Earthquake Resistant Foundations
Earthquakes are some of the most destructive forces in nature destroying infrastructure and even occasionally taking lives. Even more so without proper planning and or engineering metropolitan areas that are prone to earthquakes can turn catastrophic very quickly. Born out of necessity, Mexican engineer Manuel González Flores would go on to invent control pilings, also known as earthquake-resistant foundations.
Coming into existence in the late 40s and early 50s, these unique foundations can adapt to the movement of a building, redistributing energy generated by an earthquake. His invention would go on to play a vital role in cities with high earthquake risk.
2. Chocolate
If you are from Europe, you might have missed this one. Chocolate now tends to be correlated with the Swiss and the Belgians, however, chocolate origin story goes back to Latin America. It is widely regarded that chocolate was invented/discovered during the Mesoamerican period. Even more so, you can thank the Olmecs for developing this treatment that you cannot get enough of.
The Olmecs developed the first iterations of chocolate by using cocoa beans and creating an eventual fermented beverage. The Mayans loved hot chocolate while the Aztecs preferred having it cold and bitter. Nevertheless, it was not sweetened with sugar until it made its way to Europe.
3. Chewing Gum
You might love chewing it or cringe at the sight of hearing someone move their jaw as if they were a cow. Chewing gum is one of those things, that is just about everywhere. Chewing gum was invented in Mexico by the Mayans. Now, they were not going around chewing triple bubble apple flavor. The Mayans extracted the sap from trees to create their own version of chewing gum.
The Aztecs would not only enjoy chewing gum but they also used the stick substance to hold objects and projects together.
4. Anti-Graffiti Paint
Like New York in the ’70s, Mexico City has a real problem with graffiti. To combat the growing problem, researchers in the early 2000s from UNAM’s Applied Physics and Advanced Technology Centre in Querétaro developed a special paint that would go on to be dubbed as anti-graffiti paint, Deletum 3000. This special biodegradable paint prevents anything oily or wet adhering to it. In short, Deletum 300 keeps paint from gripping to the walls.
5. Oral Contraceptives
Oral contraceptives would play a tremendous role in the culture both in the 1950s and the 1960s. Luis Miramontes at the age of 26 in 1951 synthesized one of the key ingredients found in the pill dubbed as progestin norethindrone. He would eventually earn the title as the “father of the pill.”
6. Indelible Ink
Speaking of special paint-like substances, ten years before the creation of Anti-Graffiti Paint, Mexican researchers created a special indelible ink. However, this ink had a very specific purpose, and that was electoral fraud. This ink soaks into the hand of voters and remains there for 24 hours. This helps prevent people from going on to vote a second or third time, which was very prevalent at the time.
This indelible ink would be a hit not just in Mexico but would go on to play a vital role in elections across Latin America including Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
7. Colour Television
Televisions almost seem like novelties nowadays packed with new colorful features engineered to enhance your viewing experience. Yet, prior to your QLED and 8K displays the idea of having a simple color tv was revolutionary. Invented by Guillermo González Camarena at the young age of 22, he would go on to introduce his self-built color TV to the country in the 1940s.
His research and inventiveness would eventually lead him to create the trichromatic, field-sequential system and improved chromoscopic adapter. Both of these systems would go on and enable the color transmissions. In 1942 he obtained the official patent and finally would fully enjoy color images from his lab in 1946.