Chile

The fruits of Capsicum annuum and other species, also known as chili (pepper); chilli (pepper); paprika; cayenne pepper; red pepper; green pepper; etc.

Overview

CHILE is a culinary spice, cultivated for its fruit. It is yielded from the plant Capsicum annuum L., a annual, subshrub or shrub in the Solanaceae family, growing in seasonally dry tropical biome, with a native range of S. U.S.A. to Brazil, Caribbean.¹

It is used primarily in flavors; analgesic. Its aroma is described as pungent, fiery, with a heat index of 4-10.²

See more in ( Citation: POWO, 2024 POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ ; Citation: Petruzzello, 2021 Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392 ; Citation: Wyk, 2014 Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ; Citation: Dalby, 2000 Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press. ; Citation: Hill, 2004 Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley. )

Illustration of Capsicum annuum from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 127.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Capsicum annuum³

Native areas:       Arizona, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest, Mexico Southeast, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá, Bahamas, Cayman Is., Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Southwest Caribbean, Turks-Caicos Is., Trinidad-Tobago, Windward Is., Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil Northeast, Brazil North

Introduced areas: Austria, Bulgaria, Greece, South European Russi, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Madeira, Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Burundi, Central African Repu, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gulf of Guinea Is., Zaïre, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Northern Provinces, Aldabra, Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar, Réunion, Rodrigues, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Oman, Inner Mongolia, Korea, Kazan-retto, Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Himalaya, Andaman Is., Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nicobar Is., Vietnam, Borneo, Jawa, Philippines, Sulawesi, Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Solomon Is., New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Fiji, Gilbert Is., Vanuatu, Cook Is., Line Is., Marquesas, Society Is., Tuamotu, Caroline Is., Marianas, Marshall Is., Wake I., New York, Alabama, Maryland, Galápagos

Bibliography