Chiles are hot— in more ways than one.
Not only do most carry a bite, but new varieties and a rise in the popularity of ethnic cooking are creating intense interest in this ancient vegetable.
So it's no wonder that the National Garden Bureau has designated 2006 as the Year of the Chile.
And how about the spelling? Is it chili, chilli, or chile? According a National Garden Bureau press release, "The South American country is Chile; cooks and chili cook-offs use chili when referring to the dish chili con carne. . . .
"To establish standard spelling for gardeners, the National Garden Bureau determined that most seed catalogs use chile when referring to the pepper, and when the pepper is an ingredient in an ethnic dish."
Historically all peppers — from scorching chiles to sweet bells — come from Central and South America. Archaeological evidence dates wild chiles as far back as 7,000 B.C., and by 2,500 B.C. the plants were being cultivated.
Christopher Columbus sailed to the Caribbean, where he sampled his first pepper. Its fiery taste reminded him of East Indian black pepper spice (Piper nigrum), and he gave it the moniker "pepper." He did not know that black pepper berry of the tropical Piper vine was not related to New World peppers that grow on shrubby plants in the genus Capsicum.
In 1493, Columbus brought chiles back to Spain, and later the Spaniards and Portuguese traded chile peppers throughout Southeast Asia and India. They were quickly adopted into the cuisines of that part of the world.
Eventually, chiles spread to North America, but they weren't overnight sensations. Records show George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew cayenne peppers, but they were uncommon except in New Orleans and the Southwest until the mid-20th century.
The pepper plants show ripe fruit ranging in colors from red through orange to yellow, green, purple, brown and black.
Peppers fall into the Solanaceae or nightshade family with tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants. All peppers are genus Capsicum of which there are five cultivated species. The common chiles — Anaheims, jalapenos, cayennes, Poblanos and serranos and most others in the United States are all members of the genus Capsicum annuum. The common exceptions are the habanero types (C. chinense), tabasco and other Asian hot peppers (C. frutescens).
Peppers are classified by heat and shape. In 1912, pharmacist Wilbur Scoville invented a test to measure the hotness of peppers by diluting the pepper until the heat was just perceptible on the tongue. The Scoville rating gives bell pepper 0 and goes up from there.
These are the 11 most common categories of peppers and their Scoville Unit heat.
Asian/Thai: Small slender, thin-walled fruits; green ripening to red without distinct pepper flavor; high to extreme heat (8,000 to 60,000 Scoville Units). Use red ripe, fresh or dried.
Cayenne: Long, curved peppers with two cells and thin wrinkled skin; generally green but can be yellow or purple; medium to high heat (5,000 to 60,000 Scoville Units). Harvest red ripe; use fresh or dried.
Chile/Anaheim/New Mexico/Paprika/Pasilla: Long and tapered, with fairly thin walls and two cells; ripen from green to red; mild to medium heat (1,000 to 8,000 Scoville Units).
Habanero: Small lantern shape, thin-walls, fruity taste and extreme heat (8,000 to 60,000 Scoville Units).
Hot Cherry: Tomato-shaped, thick-walled green peppers; ripen to red; medium heat (5,000 to 8,000 Scoville Units) with a rich, sweet flavor.
Hungarian Wax/Banana: Long and conical; medium thick walls; ripen yellow to red; mild heat (1,000 to 5,000 Scoville Units). Adaptable to many climates.
Jalapeno: Short and stubby with thick meaty walls; deep green; medium to high heat (5,000 to 60,000 Scoville Units).
Ornamental/hot edible: Upright, small, round or tapered; thin walled; medium to high heat (5,000 to &#lt;60,000 Scoville Units). Plants come in a variety of colors with differently shaped peppers.
Poblano: Flat and round, slightly tapered with a blunt end; thin walls with three cells; dark green; mild heat (1,000 to 5,000 Scoville Units). Harvest green for roasting and stuffing; dry when red ripe.
Santa Fe Grande: Medium-size, tapered and conical; medium thick walls; yellow-to-red; medium to high heat (5,000 to 60,000 Scoville Units).
Serrano: Slim, slightly club-shaped with medium thick walls; green; rich flavor; medium to high heat (5,000 to 60,000 Scoville Units).
Larry Sagers is the horticulture specialist at Utah State University Extension Thanksgiving Point.