Chilli Size, Chili Shape, Chile Colours and The Geographical Origins of Chillies

Chillies, chiles or chillis come in all shapes, sizes and colours ranging from the tiny Tepin, my favourite chilli, to the large mild bell peppers like the Pimento. The hot ones like the Habanero originate from Central and South America and the Scotch Bonnet from the West Indies.

A Brief Chili History 

It is rumoured that some of William Shakespeare's lost years may have been spent at Hoghton Tower, here  just outside Chorley in Lancashire, as 'William Shakeshaft', and in his plays the bard does refer to pepper. Chilli peppers have been included in the human diet since about 7,500BC, and it is also said that pepper fuelled the success of great cities like Venice, Alexandria and Genoa. Arguments even go as far as suggesting that the need for Pepper inspired the 15th Century Spanish exploration and spice trade.  

Diego Alvarez Chance, a physician on Columbus’s 2nd West Indies voyage wrote about their medical applications in 1494. So, it could be argued that Christopher Columbus was one of the first Europeans to discover and taste chillies. They referred to them as ‘peppers’ because of their similar taste to peppers of the piper genus: piper nigrum or black pepper being quite common (ever wondered where 'Peter Piper Picked Peck of Pickled Pepper'? - well there you go!) and this may be the origin of the term ‘chilli pepper’ (or chili pepper!)

The Number of Varieties of Chili, Chilli or Chile

Today some sources argue there are over 400 different true chilli varieties grown, chillies cross pollinate easily and others have databases of over 3000 which are growing exponentially. One thing is certain, they are growing in popularity (if you'll excuse the pun!) and are grown far and wide these days, in many countries, and as you can see – even in cold climates like our own.

Cooking With Chillies, Growing Chilis and Chile Plant Yields

The variety of chillies in the shops is growing slowly, and a quick tip is if you cannot find a chilli (like I couldn’t, which is what got me started on this hot rocky road) to complete a recipe – try substituting it with something of similar size and heat, or grow them like I did on my (your) windowsill. They need only a little tender loving care, and from our seeds you can grow a plant that can yield over 30 chillies.

Preserving Chillies, Making and Buying Products made from Chilli, Chili or Chile

The beauty of these little beasties is that you can obvioulsy use them fresh, but also freeze or dry them for later use (see our guide on preserving chillis and chili peppers). Why not visit the ONLINE SHOP and see the different chillies, products and seed varieties and try them with our recipes, jams, sauces, snacks and maybe buy our growing advice booklet to help you on your way.

About Chilli Heat

It is generally assumed that the larger the chilli, the milder it is, beware, there are exceptions like Scotch Bonnet Big Sun. Smaller chillies seem hotter as they contain proportionally more seeds and veins (creating the burn) than the larger varieties. Those seeds and veins can contain up to 80 per cent of a chilli's heat in the form of capsaicin. As noted above, the heat or effects of capsaicin cannot be reduced by cooking, drying or freezing, the only way is to de-seed and remove the pithy bit or veins of a chilli .

Some Chilli Heat Examples in Scovilles

Jalapenos are fiery characters, popular in North and South America, colloquially known as the 'Pizza Pepper' and commonly used in salsa or as a pizza topping. They have thick crunchy walls and are often used in chilli eating competitions, but they are nothing compared to Habanero or Scotch Bonnet, the beeb  refers to them as ‘the pepper from hell’, explaining that this lantern-shaped chilli from the Caribbean adds a special quality to almost any dish. Not only is it very hot, it's also unusually delicious when added to certain recipes, and brings a fruity citrus flavour in the correct proportions:

In terms of heat then, take a moment to consider that a Jalapeno can rate around 4,000 Scoville Heat Units, seems like a lot until you reflect on the notion that the Habanero can be more than 400,000 - and that's 100 times hotter than a Jalapeno!.... and some come in at over 500,000!!

Preparing Chillies For Cooking

Slit them along their length, de-seed, remove the membrane, cut off the stem, and rinse them.

About Handling Chillies - Don't Forget to Wash Your Hands!

Even better - wear gloves, if not, then wash your hands, a lot! If you don't the burn you get from eating them can be tranferred to your skin, or worse - your eyes! - or worse still your partner!!!!

read more Chilli Info in the FAQs...