What is the botanical classification of chili peppers?
Chili peppers are botanically classified as berries rather than vegetables. This classification has influenced their history and culinary dominance for millennia.
Common questions about Chili pepper
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where did the genus Capsicum originate and when was it first cultivated?
The genus Capsicum originated in modern-day Peru and Bolivia and became a staple in human diets as early as the 7th of May 7500 BC. Evidence of cultivation in east-central Mexico dates back 6,000 years.
How did chili peppers spread to Europe and Asia after European contact?
Chili peppers were first brought to Europe by the Spanish at the start of the Columbian exchange and appeared in Spanish records by the 1493. They spread to Italy by the 1526, Germany by the 1543, and the Balkans by the 1569, while the Portuguese introduced them to Africa and Asia including Goa, Sri Lanka, and Malacca.
What chemical gives chili peppers their heat and how is it measured?
The substance that gives chili peppers their pungency is capsaicin and several related chemicals collectively called capsaicinoids. The intensity of the heat is commonly reported in Scoville heat units, invented by American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville in the 1912.
Which chili pepper holds the record for the highest Scoville heat units?
Pepper X holds the record for the highest Scoville heat units at 2.69 million Scoville heat units and was developed in the United States. Other contenders include Dragon's Breath from Wales which measures 2.48 million Scoville heat units and the Carolina Reaper from the United States which measures 2.2 million Scoville heat units.