> Spice Tour > Chillies / Mirch

Chillies are native to South America, particularly Mexico where they were consumed approximately 9000 years ago. They have been cultivated in these regions as well as Central America and the Caribbean Islands for thousands of years. When Columbus "discovered" the Americas, he took plants back to Spain, where they were named pimiento due to their resemblance, in terms of pungency, to pepper. Despite not being related to the pepper vine, capsicums are still referred to as peppers.

Chillies exist in an assortment of shapes, colours and even sizes; they can be but a few millimetres or as long as a 30cm ruler! They can be bought as whole chillies (either fresh or dried) as well as in flakes, threads and a ground powder form.

The green and red chillies have no aroma until dried. Chillies' flavour is only released when the flesh is cut. They range in taste from mild and tingling to burning hot. The mildest come from the C. annum, whereas the C. Chinense bear fruit to the hottest ones. Chillies get their heat from a substance called capsaicin, which can be found in their seeds, flesh and skin. A general guideline is that large fleshy chillies are typically milder than small, thin ones. Remove the seeds and veins in a chilli to reduce its capsaicin content, thus lessening the heat.

Fresh chillies can be refrigerated or frozen - they will keep for at least a week in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator but will lose their flavour and piquance if frozen. Dried chillies can be stored almost indefinitely at an ambient temperature in an airtight container, away from the sunlight.

Today, chillies are the biggest spice crop in the world - hundreds of different varieties are grown in all the tropical regions and eaten daily by a quarter of the worlds population. Although used in cuisine ranging from all the corners of the Earth, India is the largest producer and consumer of chillies and each region uses its local varieties. Chilli powder is an essential ingredient in many curries, sauces and spice mixes. When red, dried chillies are fried in hot oil, they give a wonderful flavour to the dish. Crushed chillies make excellent garnishes and chilli powder or fresh, sliced green chillies will add a kick to any dish.

Green chillies are used in making Patak's Chilli Pickle and red chilli powder is used in varying degrees in Patak's pickles, pastes, sauces and ready meals.

Did you know?
There are over 200 identified varieties of chilli grown throughout the tropics. In addition there are many local varieties which have not yet been documented. Depending on the variety of the chilli, its heat measured in Scoville units, can range from 0-300,000.