Chile, Chili, Chilli or Chillie?
Within the world of spicy foods, there is some disagreement upon the spelling of the plant that we all know and love. Probably the best answer to this is that it all depends upon where you live. In North America, England, and Australia, it is commonly spelled "chili." In the South and Southwestern U.S. it is called "chile" and "chile pepper." In India
and Asia, it is often spelled "chilli." And South Africa it will be seen as "chillie."
Dried and Smoked
There are many different peppers in both the fresh and dried varieties. It can get confusing when the same pepper is called different things when they are fresh or dried. Ancho is dried pablano. Chipotle is a particular kind of jalapeno that is smoked and in different levels of dehydration. Chipotles en adobo (or adobe) are dried, smoked jalapenos that are reconstituted in tomato puree. Great for cooking. The confusion in the names of peppers extends to the fresh ones too. An
Anaheim
pepper in one place might be a pasilla somewhere else. When buying, ask the grocer.
Cayenne
The cayenne pepper is typically regarded as the grandfather of the chile for cooking most associated with the Cajun food of
Louisiana
. This popular chile variety is primarily grown and consumed in the
U.S.
All of these peppers grown in the
U.S.
are cultivated for mash to make the most common hot sauces such as
Louisiana
brand and Durkee's Red Hot. Most of the dried, ground "cayenne" used for cooking and medicinal purposes are not actually cayenne. Any small, red chile pepper can be labelled "cayenne." The term has become a generic name for a large number of varieties. It is difficult to find pure cayenne all by itself.
Colors of Peppers
It can be difficult to determine the type and variety of pepper sometimes due to the vast variation of colors. One variety of pepper pod may be green, orange, yellow, red or even brown. The change in color is due to how long it is left on the plant. Most all peppers start out green. Even though green means that it is immature, this does not mean that it is inedible. Most jalapenos and serranos are green at the store. If left on the plant, these chiles will turn red. Red jalapenos and serranos are available, but are typically more expensive. As they redden, the flavor usually mellows and becomes sweeter as there are more sugars stored in the pods. Red pods are often hotter and always have far more vitamin A than the green pods. Aside from these differences, the desired color is often a personal preference.
Cross-Breeding
A unique characteristic of the chile pepper plant is that they all cross-breed with each other. For example, if a jalapeno plant is put next to a habanero plant, the offspring can have attributes of each plant (such as a super hot jalapeno or a mild habanero). The ease of cross-breeding is reliant upon the species of plants, however. |
