Chilie pepper is the fruit of the plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Botany considers the plant a berry shrub. Though chilis may be thought of as a vegetable, their culinary use is generally as a spice. It is the fruit that is usually harvested.
The name comes from Nahuatl chīlli via the Spanish word chile. The word chili in most of the world refers to the smaller, hot Capsicum. The mild, larger types are called bell peppers in the United States, Canada (and sometimes the United Kingdom), simply peppers in Britain and Ireland, capsicum in Pakistan India and Australasia, and paprika in many European and African countries. Bell peppers are often named by colour (e.g. green pepper or red pepper).
Chili peppers and their cultivars originate in the Americas; they are now grown around the world because they are widely used as spices or vegetables in cuisine, and as medicine.
The substances that gives chili peppers their intensity when ingested or applied topically are capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) and several related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids. Capsaicin is the primary ingredient in pepper spray.
When consumed, capsaicinoids bind with pain receptors in the mouth and throat that are normally responsible for sensing heat. Once activated by the capsaicinoids, these receptors send a message to the brain that the person has consumed something hot. The brain responds to the burning sensation by raising the heart rate, increasing perspiration and release of endorphins.
The “heat” of chili peppers is measured in Scoville units (SHU). Bell peppers rank at 0 (SHU), New Mexico green chilis at about 1,500 SHU, jalapeños at 3,000–6,000 SHU, and habaneros at 300,000 SHU. The record for the hottest chili pepper was assigned by the Guinness Book of Records to the Naga Jolokia, measuring over 1,000,000 SHU. Pure capsaicin, which is a hydrophobic, colorless, odorless, and crystalline to waxy solid at room temperature, measures 16,000,000 SHU.
photo credit: basheertome
