| 139 | 140 | 141 | 142 | 143 |
| 1 | 103 | 205 | 308 | 410 |
|
PEPPERS AND CHILIES
~
~~
The hottest food item of the 1990s American culinary scene, no doubt, is the fierce chili
pepper, both literally and figuratively. Not far behind is its gentle, friendlier brother, the bell pepper.
Chili peppers add a unique flavor essential in many dishes and they are without substitute. There are
virtually no cuisines in the world that can survive intact without some form of pepper or chili.
Can you think of another food plant that has produced so much discussion, argument and
controversy as chilies? A whole culture of chili eaters and growers, called chiliheads or chili
aficionados, reside in the Southwest and California. Proof of the power of this cult is the magazine
called Chile Pepper produced in New Mexico. Yet there seems to be no consensus in any area about
chilies, not even the seemingly simple rating of their pungency.
Botanists and food scientists at a number of institutes and university research centers in New
Mexico, people with the most advanced knowledge on chili peppers, have made collaborative
efforts to straighten out the chili chaos, particularly with respect to using one single name for each
variety, so far without success.
Chili writers and aficionados don't even agree on how to spell the name of their favorite
subject. In some books it is chile, in others chili, and in still others chilli.
TASTINGS Chili or chile?
The Incas called chili peppers ají. The Aztecs called them chili. The Spanish
changed the name to chile. Only in Spanish-speaking countries and in parts of the
southwestern U.S. are chilies referred to as chiles. To conform to majority, let’s spell
it chili.
The forefathers
play © erdosh 141
Page
Quick Jump
|