Look up chili in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Chili, a tarantula in the 3D film It’s Tough to Be a Bug! If an internal link led chilli com carne here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

For the dish often called simply “Chili”, see Chili con carne. For the band, see Red Hot Chili Peppers. Capsicum, which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. Chili peppers are believed to have originated somewhere in Central or South America. Cultivars grown in North America and Europe are believed to all derive from Capsicum annuum, and have white, yellow, red or purple to black fruits. Capsicum plants originated in modern-day Bolivia and have been a part of human diets since about 7,500 BC.

They are one of the oldest cultivated crops in the Americas. Peru has the highest variety of cultivated Capsicum diversity because it is a center of diversification where varieties of all five domesticates were introduced, grown, and consumed in pre-Columbian times. The largest diversity of wild Capsicum peppers is consumed in Bolivia. When Christopher Columbus and his crew reached the Caribbean, they were the first Europeans to encounter Capsicum. Chili peppers spread to Asia through their introduction by Portuguese traders, who—aware of their trade value and resemblance to the spiciness of black pepper—promoted their commerce in the Asian spice trade routes. Capsicum frutescens includes malagueta, tabasco, piri piri, and Malawian Kambuzi.

Capsicum chinense includes the hottest peppers such as the naga, habanero, Datil and Scotch bonnet. Capsicum pubescens includes the South American rocoto peppers. Capsicum baccatum includes the South American aji peppers. Though there are only a few commonly used species, there are many cultivars and methods of preparing chili peppers that have different names for culinary use. Green and red bell peppers, for example, are the same cultivar of C. Most popular pepper varieties are seen as falling into one of these categories or a cross between them.

When peppers are consumed by mammals such as humans, capsaicin binds with pain receptors in the mouth and throat, potentially evoking pain via spinal relays to the brainstem and thalamus where heat and discomfort are perceived. Capsaicin is produced by the plant as a defense against mammalian predators and microbes, in particular a fusarium fungus carried by hemipteran insects that attack certain species of chili peppers, according to one study. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Chili pepper pods are technically berries.

When used fresh, they are most often prepared and eaten like a vegetable. Whole pods can be dried and then crushed or ground into chili powder that is used as a spice or seasoning. Chilies can be dried to prolong their shelf life. Many fresh chilies such as poblano have a tough outer skin that does not break down on cooking. Chilies are sometimes used whole or in large slices, by roasting, or other means of blistering or charring the skin, so as not to entirely cook the flesh beneath.

When cooled, the skins will usually slip off easily. The leaves of every species of Capsicum are edible. Though almost all other Solanaceous crops have toxins in their leaves, chili peppers do not. Many Mexican dishes, including variations on chiles rellenos, use the entire chili. Dried whole chilies may be reconstituted before grinding to a paste. The chipotle is the smoked, dried, ripe jalapeño. In India, most households always keep a stock of fresh hot green chilies at hand, and use them to flavor most curries and dry dishes.

It is typically lightly fried with oil in the initial stages of preparation of the dish. Some states in India, such as Rajasthan, make entire dishes only by using spices and chilies. Chili is a staple fruit in Bhutan. The ema datshi recipe is entirely made of chili mixed with local cheese.

Chilies are present in many cuisines. Fresh or dried chilies are often used to make hot sauce, a liquid condiment—usually bottled when commercially available—that adds spice to other dishes. The contrast in color and appearance makes chili plants interesting to some as a purely decorative garden plant. Psychologist Paul Rozin suggests that eating chilies is an example of a “constrained risk” like riding a roller coaster, in which extreme sensations like pain and fear can be enjoyed because individuals know that these sensations are not actually harmful.