Chilli Peppers have become a significant part of cuisines worldwide. Some Asian cuisines are often recognised for their generous use of these spicy ingredients in most dishes. They are the base of many condiments globally from hot sauce, sriracha, curry pastes, paprika and spice blends. These spicy fruits have become so integral that some regional varieties are considered native to the country like the Thai Bird Eye Chilli and the Korean Gochugaru. However, it's interesting to note that until the dawn of the 16th century, the only spicy ingredients known to Europe and Asia were black peppercorn and Sichuan peppercorn. So how did chilli peppers rise to their widespread popularity, becoming the most commonly used spice worldwide?
Early Chilli Origins
The wild chilli peppers originated in the South American lowlands of modern-day Brazil and Bolivia around 13.8 million years ago. The region is known as the ‘nuclear area’ as it has the greatest number of wild species of chile peppers in the world. These small, red berry-like fruits spread all over South and Central America over time. Chile pepper seeds found in Guitarrero Cave, Peru and Ocampo Caves, Mexico suggest that chillies were first foraged and domesticated by tribal communities 10,000 years ago. These communities incorporated chillies to spice a wide range of their dishes, using them in nearly every dish they ate.
The Incas in Peru made an invigorating beverage with cocoa, vanilla, chillies and tomatoes as an aphrodisiac. They were also valued for their medicinal properties. The Mayans and Aztecs used chillies to treat stomach aches, rashes, rheumatism and arthritis while in the Caribbean, chillies were traditionally used as a digestive aid.
Voyage Around the World
When Christopher Columbus reached the Caribbean on his voyage in 1492, he believed that he had reached India. He sent a few of his men to search for black peppercorn and cinnamon since the spices were quite expensive due to trade problems. While the sailors could not find the spices they were looking for, they noticed the natives gathering small red berries. These berries had a much spicier taste profile than the mild spiciness of black peppercorns and thinking they were a similar kind, Columbus named them peppers. Within the next year, Columbus brought 50 shiploads of Chilli back to Spain from where it started to spread across Western Europe.
However, Portugal wasn’t too far behind in exploring and settling in the New World, especially in Brazil where chilli peppers were more than plenty. Vasco da Gama was the first to circumnavigate Africa and travel by sea route to India in 1498 and brought the popularity of chillies to South Asia. Within 30 years, three regional varieties of chilli were growing on the Indian coast. From here, chillies travelled all over Asia by the end of the 16th century through Indian naval trade routes and the Silk Road.
An astonishing part of the chilli pepper’s journey was its travel to Hungary. The Eastern European country is famous for its deep red paprika powder. However, the chilli had to travel all the way to Asia to be introduced in this region. The Ottoman Turks bought chillies from traders in India which they brought along with them when they conquered the Balkan regions and planted chilli seeds in Hungary.
Chilli Popularity Worldwide
While mistaken to be a relative of black peppercorn, chilli comes from the nightshade family similar to tomatoes and aubergines. Some eat them whole as a snack while most use them chopped fresh or dried and smoked, mashed into a paste or steeped in oil for various dishes from curries and stir-fries to salads. Even chilli leaves are used in stir fry dishes. From Bell Peppers which are not spicy at all to the Carolina Reaper that can set your throat on fire, today, there are over 4000 different varieties of chilli peppers across the world with new variations popping up every year.
