{"id":5761,"date":"2017-08-09T12:37:18","date_gmt":"2017-08-09T12:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/?p=5761"},"modified":"2017-10-03T12:52:17","modified_gmt":"2017-10-03T12:52:17","slug":"the-dinette-teller-33-chilli-pepper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/?p=5761","title":{"rendered":"The Dinette Teller &#8211; 34. Spice up your life with Chilli Pepper!"},"content":{"rendered":"<header>The red chilli pepper, called &#8220;Capsicum Annuum&#8221;, is part of the\u00a0Solanaceae\u00a0family with potatoes, aubergines, tomatoes, and tobacco. It was born in America and\u00a0brought for the first time to Europe by Cristoforo Colombo during his second journey in the New World.<\/header>\n<header><\/header>\n<header>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5826\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5826\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/300px-Columbus_Taking_Possession.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5826 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/300px-Columbus_Taking_Possession-300x227.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"227\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5826\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cristoforo Colombo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/header>\n<header><\/header>\n<header><\/header>\n<header>The chilli pepper plant has nice white flowers and oblong fruits, which become green, yellow, and finally red while ripening. Its peculiarity is the spiciness, which is linked to the capsaicin; an alkaloid contained in the fruit at different concentrations depending on the species. In Italy, this peculiar vegetable has always been linked to\u00a0superstition\u00a0and used as a lucky charm. It has also been used as a symbol of\u00a0strength because of its bright red colour. In the past (and sometimes still today), people used to hang red chilli peppers in the kitchen as an amulet, and in the bedroom to bring a new reconciliation between two indifferent spouses.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Chilli Pepper Species<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>More than 3000 species of chilli pepper exists in Nature. The most famous species\u00a0are; capsicum\u00a0annum, frutescens, Chinese, baccatum, and capsicum\u00a0pubescens.<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<header>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5828\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5828\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/chilli.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5828 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/chilli-300x166.png\" width=\"300\" height=\"166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/chilli-300x166.png 300w, https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/chilli-768x425.png 768w, https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/chilli.png 976w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5828\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chilli pepper varieties<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The most widespread capsicum are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Common Chilli<\/strong>: the most common in England. It is not too spicy and of moderate dimension. Generally around 5 cm in\u00a0length<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cayenna\u00a0Peppers<\/strong>: a type of common chilli with a higher level of spiciness. It is thinner and more elongated in shape, reaching 10cm in\u00a0length.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Satana Kisses<\/strong>: they have a cherry like\u00a0a shape. Perfect to be stuffed, they represent one of the most common species in the South of Italy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Jalapeno<\/strong>: little\u00a0Mexican\u00a0chilli pepper with a moderate level of spiciness. Because more flavourful, people usually eat it when green and still unripe. It is very versatile and delicious.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Poblan:\u00a0<\/strong>one of the most renowned\u00a0Mexican\u00a0chillies. It looks like a tiny sweet capsicum, but spicier. Usually harvested when still unripe at the peak of crunchiness.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Habanero:\u00a0<\/strong>the variety Red Savina is the spiciest capsicum in the World until 2006. It has a spiciness of 557\u00a0million\u00a0SU. There are other varieties: yellow, orange, white, brown. All of them are unbelievably spicy.<\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5831\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5831\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/mig.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5831 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/mig-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5831\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Habanero<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>The Scoville Scale<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>To measure the spiciness level of the different species of chilli capsicum it is often used the Scoville Scale, which goes from 0 to 10. The Scoville Units (SU) measure the concentration of\u00a0capsain, which goes from 0 to 16\u00a0million!<\/p>\n<p>To\u00a0have\u00a0some examples, the common chilli reaches a value of 5\u00a0thousand\u00a0SU, the\u00a0Cayenna\u00a0one 50.000 SU, and the Habanero achieves 600.000 SU!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5829\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5829\" style=\"width: 295px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/scoville-scale.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5829 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/scoville-scale.png\" width=\"295\" height=\"185\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5829\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Scoville Scale<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>How to grow Chilli Capsicum\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Choose a 20-40cm diameter vase. Put some potsherds at the bottom to allow a good drainage.<\/li>\n<li>Use a good fertilizer.<\/li>\n<li>Place the plant in the vase.<\/li>\n<li>Put the vase in a\u00a0well-lightened\u00a0area (at least 6 hours of\u00a0sunshine\u00a0per day).<\/li>\n<li>Water the plant only when the fertilizer on the\u00a0surface\u00a0is dried.<\/li>\n<li>Fasten the trunk to a piece of wood when it reaches over 35cm of height.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5827\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5827\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/peperoncino.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5827 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/peperoncino-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5827\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Capsicum in a vase<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"itemBodyWrap\">\n<div class=\"itemBody\">\n<h2><strong>Curiosities about Chilli Peppers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Capsaicin is basically the trick of Mother Nature to safeguard the chilli pepper plant. In fact, the spiciness kept at a distance the mammals as they\u00a0would have eaten all the seeds,\u00a0avoiding\u00a0the reproduction of the chilli capsicum.<\/p>\n<p>On the contrary, since birds are devoid of spiciness receptors, they are immune to the effects of the capsaicin. The seed\u00a0is\u00a0not destroyed by the digestive system of the birds, so they can be scattered around through the\u00a0bird\u2019s\u00a0excrements.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5832\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5832\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/alimenti-afrodisiaci-300x200.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5832 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/alimenti-afrodisiaci-300x200-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5832\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The seeds and the filament contain the most of the capsaicin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The spiciest variety of chilli pepper is the\u00a0Indian\u00a0Naga Jolokia with its 855.000 SU. It is illegal to sell\u00a0it\u00a0because of being considered a real instrument of torture.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>\u00a0Tips For Salvaging Too-Spicy Foods<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Contrary to popular belief, since the\u00a0capsicum\u00a0is\u00a0only soluble in\u00a0alcohol\u00a0or fat (especially the casein), it is useless to drink water to lessen its spiciness. For this\u00a0reason,\u00a0it can be useful to drink a glass of wine or milk, eat cheese or a yoghurt sauce.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5830\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5830\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/images-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" Tips For Salvaging Too-Spicy Foods wp-image-5830 size-full\" title=\" Tips For Salvaging Too-Spicy Foods\" src=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/images-1.jpg\" alt=\" Tips For Salvaging Too-Spicy Foods\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/images-1.jpg 225w, https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/images-1-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5830\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tips For Salvaging Too-Spicy Foods<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Chilli Peppers Properties<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Thanks to the substances contained in the chilli capsicum, it has many healthy properties.<\/p>\n<p>Firstly, the capsicum is not only the &#8220;burning&#8221; element, it is also a rubefacient substance; this means that it improves the blood flow, stimulating the skin flushing. Moreover, it stimulates the combustion of fat, and it lessens the levels of the hormone &#8220;grelina&#8221;, which makes us hungry. So, it is also of help in losing weight!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"itemBody\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_5834\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5834\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/weight.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5834 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/weight-300x126.png\" width=\"300\" height=\"126\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5834\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lose weight with spicy!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It is rich in vitamins (C, E, K, B, A) and mineral salts (calcium, copper, potassium, carotenoids, and\u00a0lecithin). There is a great amount of vitamin C. For example, 100gr of chilli pepper contains 229 mg of vitamin C against the 50 gr of the oranges!<\/p>\n<p>These are some of the positive effects that this spice has:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"itemBody\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Improves the blood flow<\/li>\n<li>Improves the digestive tract motility<\/li>\n<li>Reduces the cholesterol levels in the blood<\/li>\n<li>Antioxidant<\/li>\n<li>Prevents from infectious diseases<\/li>\n<li>Stimulates the health of skin and other tissues, and it acts against muscles aches and arthritis<\/li>\n<li>Improves the metabolism<\/li>\n<li>Antibacterial action<\/li>\n<li>Antihistaminic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>However, the abuse of this product could damage the gastric tissue, leading to ulcer, gastroenteritis, cystitis, and haemorrhoids. So, don&#8217;t exaggerate!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Spice up your life!<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Chilli peppers can be used fresh, stored dried, as entire, minced, and even as a powder! They are delicious to give a boost of taste to your dishes, just by frying some of them in oil before adding other ingredients in the pan or just sprinkling the powder upon your favourite meal!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5836\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5836\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/chili-1995688_640-300x200.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5836 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/chili-1995688_640-300x200-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5836\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dried chilli peppers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you like spicy dishes, there is a huge variety of products of which you should definitely take advantages.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tastewithgusto.ie\/shop\/pronto-spaghetti-ready-spaghetti-lage\/\">Pronto-Ready Spaghetti<\/a>\u00a0has evolved from a famous Italian pasta dressing recipe &#8220;Spaghetti, Garlic, Olive Oil and Hot Chilli&#8221;, with the addition of sun-dried tomatoes, which makes the taste perfect, not too hot, but just right. Heat this sauce slowly in a saucepan to toss your favourite pasta shape and serve hot!<\/p>\n<p>It is also great for meat and fish marinades, to\u00a0spread on\u00a0tarallini\u00a0and bruschetta, and as a\u00a0dip for party finger food.<\/p>\n<p>For pasta-lovers, you should know that one the most famous Italian sauces is the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tastewithgusto.ie\/shop\/arrabbiata-sauce\/\">Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce<\/a>: a tomato based sauce with a spicy kick. The name literally means &#8216;angry sauce&#8217; because of\u00a0the spiciness of the peppers.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5839\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5839\" style=\"width: 295px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/arrabbiata.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5839 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/arrabbiata.png\" width=\"295\" height=\"196\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5839\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arrabbiata Sauce Penne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you are in the mood for something spicier, try our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tastewithgusto.ie\/shop\/hot-pepper-spread\/\">Hot Chilli Peppers Spread<\/a> created for the Chilli Lovers. It is the perfect combination of sweet red and hot peppers, leaving a warm\u00a0aftertaste. It is just perfect alone or mixed with other sauces. Use it in the same ways than before&#8230; just put it everywhere to give a bursting boost of taste!<\/p>\n<p>Other great ideas are the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tastewithgusto.ie\/shop\/stuffed-chilli-with-olive-and-anchovy\/\">Stuffed Chilli with Olive and Anchovy<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tastewithgusto.ie\/shop\/stuffed-chilli-with-tuna-and-vegetable\/\">Stuffed Chilli with Tuna &amp; Vegetables<\/a>. They are perfect to\u00a0be eaten as a snack or as part of the main meal.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5907\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5907\" style=\"width: 246px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a class=\"https:\/\/tastewithgusto.ie\/shop\/stuffed-chilli-with-tuna-and-vegetable\/\" href=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/008-Peperoncini-piccanti-ripieni.jpg\" rel=\"https:\/\/tastewithgusto.ie\/shop\/stuffed-chilli-with-tuna-and-vegetable\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Stuffed Chilli with Tuna &amp; Vegetables wp-image-5907 size-medium\" title=\"Stuffed Chilli with Tuna &amp; Vegetables\" src=\"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/008-Peperoncini-piccanti-ripieni-246x300.jpg\" alt=\"Stuffed Chilli with Tuna &amp; Vegetables\" width=\"246\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/008-Peperoncini-piccanti-ripieni-246x300.jpg 246w, https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/008-Peperoncini-piccanti-ripieni.jpg 410w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 246px) 100vw, 246px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5907\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stuffed Chilli with Tuna &amp; Vegetables<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So, what are you waiting for? Spice up your life with Chilli Peppers!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The red chilli pepper, called &#8220;Capsicum Annuum&#8221;, is part of the\u00a0Solanaceae\u00a0family with potatoes, aubergines, tomatoes, and tobacco. It was born in America and\u00a0brought for the first time to Europe by Cristoforo Colombo during his second journey in the New World. The chilli pepper plant has nice white flowers and oblong fruits, which become green, yellow, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":5914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5761"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5908,"href":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5761\/revisions\/5908"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}