http://eMall.Com/Chile/Chile6.html (World Wide Web Directory, 06/1995)
Christopher Columbus discovered peppers in 1492!
In 1912, Wilbur Scoville developed a method to measure the heat level of a chile pepper called the Scoville Organoleptic Test. The test used a group of 5 people that tasted the different chiles and analyzed the heat. The pungency is measured in multiples of 100 units from the bell pepper at zero to the incendiary Habanero at 300,000 scoville units!
Chile peppers have had many uses throughout the years. Indian tribes strung chiles together and tied them to their canoes and used them to ward off all evils that may lurk in the water. Today, "ristras" are commonly seen hanging in households. Ristras are a symbol of welcome and a superstitious way to ward off all evils! It is also reported that Chile peppers were once traded as common currency.
Fresh chiles are high in Vitamin C twice the amount as citrus fruits. When the fresh peppers are dried they lose most of their vitamin C content, however their vitamin A content increases 100 times! The recommended daily allowance for these vitamins are 5000 international units for vitamin C and 60 milligrams for Vitamin A. If you are a devoted chilehead this allowance can be met by eating a tsp. of pure chile powder for the vitamin A and an ounce of fresh peppers for vitamin C. We don't recommend an ounce of Habanero!
Chile Peppers are as different from each other as are fine wines, each has its own distinctive taste and heat level. Capsicum chinense chiles (Habanero, scotch bonnet's) have a unique citrus flavor and incendiary bite.
After salt, the chile pepper has become the most frequently used seasoning and condiment in the world. Chiles are used extensively not only in Mexico but all over the United States, Caribbean, Far East, Africa, etc.
The substance that makes a chile so hot is capsaicin. In order to douse the heat, try drinking milk, ice cream, or yogurt. These dairy products are especially effective at breaking down the oils. Beer and water only spread the flame!
Eating spicy food is addicting. Here is what happens... after eating something hot, your body nerves feel pain. These pain signals are immediately transmitted to your brain. Your brain interprets this signal and automatically releases endorphins (the body's natural pain killer). The endorphins kick in and act as a pain killer and create this temporary felling of euphoria. Hot & spicy food lovers soon begin to crave this feeling and are hooked.
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