Did you know…

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• Chillies are rich in carotene, high in vitamin C and have powerful antioxidant properties which protect our immune system. By reducing blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, they have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system and also act as a circulatory stimulant.
  
  
• Fresh green chillies are high in vitamin C; about three times more than found in citrus. The vitamin C is still retained when peppers are canned or frozen, but not when dried or cooked. In contrast, dried red chillies contain more vitamin A than found in carrots; also the vitamin A is not affected by canning, cooking or time.
  
  
• The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowances) for vitamin A and C can be satisfied by eating about a teaspoonful of red chilli sauce or chilli powder, which are rich in vitamin A; and one fresh green chilli, which is high in vitamin C.
• The active component capsaicin, which is concentrated in the white ribs and the seeds inside, is responsible for the chillies’ pungency. The capsaicin content in pepper is effected by the growing conditions of the plant, the age of the fruit and could possibly be variety specific. Capsaicin can be increased by dry stressful conditions.
  
  
• There are three primary spellings used to describe the Capsicum genus:
        1. Chile (This is the Mexican-Spanish term for Capsicums, supposedly derived from chilli. It is used in New Mexico)
        2. Chili (This is the Anglicized version of chile, mostly used in the U.S. and Canada.)
        3. Chilli (This is the British spelling for hot peppers. Mostly used by English-speaking people throughout the world.)
  
  
• It is best to air-dry your peppers with minimum exposure to sunlight to retain as much capsaicin content as possible.
  
  
• Capsaicin stimulates the appetite, helps to clear the lungs, improves circulation and alleviates nerve and arthritic pain. Capsaicin, once ingested causes the brain to release endorphins into the blood-stream creating a natural feeling of well being. Despite its hot taste, the capsaicin in chillies actually lowers the body temperature by stimulating the cooling centre of our brain.
  
  
• Nowadays, chilli is the most widely used of all natural remedies. Herbal chilli tea is ideal for poor circulation, colds and chills. It’s really simple to make view our recipe section!
  
  
• The pepper genus is Capsicum, from the Greek Kapto meaning ‘to bite’. There are 5 domesticated capsicum species:
            1. Capsicum annuum (meaning annual, however this is incorrect)
            2. Capsicum baccatum (meaning berry-like)
            3. Capsicum chinense (meaning from China)
            4. Capsicum frutescens (shrubby and bushy)
            5. Capsicum pubescens (hairy)
  
  
• Chilli pungency is expressed in SHU (Scoville Heat Units) named after Wilbur L. Scoville, who invented the scale in 1912.