Chili Peppers
- Chili peppers originated in South America then spread to Central and North America.
- Chili peppers are botanically fruits, but are generally considered in culinary contexts to be vegetables.
- One fresh medium sized green chile pod has as much Vitamin C as six oranges.
- 1 teaspoon of dried red chile powder has the daily requirements of Vitamin A.
- Hot chili peppers burn calories by triggering a thermodynamic burn in the body, which speeds up the metabolism.
- Chili Peppers Come in Many Varieties.
- There are more than 500 varieties of chili and sweet pepper plants.
- Size Indicates the Spice Level. Although it seems that larger peppers would have more spice to them, in reality, the smaller and thinner a chili pepper is, the spicier it will be.
- Although the jalapeño is one of the most well-known of the spicy peppers, the hottest pepper known to science is the habanero chili pepper.
- After tasting a chili pepper that is hot, you might be tempted to reach for the nearest glass of ice water. However, if you eat or drink dairy products, like milk or ice cream, right after having a spicy pepper, they can help quench some of the heat in your mouth better than water can.
- A molecule called capsaicin is the reason that chili peppers are spicy. When you bite into a pepper, capsaicin affects your taste buds, nerve cells and nasal membranes.