Chili pepper

Capsicum spp.

vegetable · spice

Fruits of a nightshade domesticated in Mexico, most of them the same species as the bell pepper; their heat comes from capsaicin, held in the white ribs.

Origin

Americas (domesticated in Mexico)

Season (United States)

July to October · grows in your region

Preparation

It is eaten raw or cooked, sliced, with or without its seeds; hands are washed after cutting it. Its capsaicin is produced by the white membranes, not by the seeds — those only touch them. Removing the membranes really calms the fire; removing only the seeds changes almost nothing.

Molecules

Capsaicin

Did you know?

The Scoville scale (1912) diluted chilli extract in sugar water until three tasters out of five could no longer feel the heat.