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Red Hot Chili Pepper Research Spices Up Historical Record
Eureka Alert ^ | 2-15-2007 | Gregory Harris - U Of Calgary

Posted on 02/16/2007 11:14:32 AM PST by blam

Contact: Gregory Harris
gharris@ucalgary.ca
403-220-3506
University of Calgary

Red hot chili pepper research spices up historical record

Archaeologists trace domestication and dispersal of Capsicum species Next time you're shaking Tabasco sauce on your eggs or dried chili pepper flakes on your pizza, you might pause to thank the indigenous Latin American cultures of more than 6,100 years ago that made it possible.

Three University of Calgary researchers, together with international colleagues, have traced the earliest known evidence for the domestication and spread of chili peppers by analysing starch microfossils recovered from grinding stones, sediments and charred ceramic cookware. In a forthcoming article in the journal Science, they report that common varieties of chili peppers (Capsicum species) were widely used in a region extending from the Bahamas to southern Peru.

"Until quite recently it's been assumed that the ancestors of the great highland civilizations, like the Inca and the Aztecs, were responsible for most of the cultural and agricultural advances of the region," says Dr. Scott Raymond, U of C archaeologist and one of the authors of the paper. "We now have evidence that the indigenous people from tropical, lowland areas deserve credit for the domestication of the chili pepper."

Dry, arid areas favour archaeological preservation, whereas tropical regions typically don't -- especially when it comes to foodstuffs. "A relatively recent discovery is that the cooking process doesn't completely destroy the evidence of starchy foods, and traces can still be recovered from the cooking vessels," says Sonia Zarrillo, another co-author of the paper and a U of C PhD student.

The authors report on seven sites throughout the Americas where they found starch grains from chili peppers, the oldest being from sites in Ecuador that date back 6,100 years. These Ecuadorian sites represent the earliest known village sites in the Americas, and were excavated by a team from the University of Calgary, led by Dr. Raymond.

In 2005, international researchers who had gathered at a University of Calgary archaeology conference began comparing notes about an unidentified starch they had recovered from sites around Latin America. Dr. Linda Perry, the lead author of the paper and a researcher with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, subsequently identified the starch as Capsicum.

"It was surprising to find that the chili pepper, which is technically a fruit, left behind evidence of starch, which is more often associated with foods such as maize and root vegetables," says Dr. Ruth Dickau, a U of C post-doctoral researcher and one of the paper's authors. "So much of the research on the origins of agriculture in the region has focused on staple crops, but now here is one of the first condiments that we're able to trace -- it's quite interesting."

Researchers speculate that villagers may have begun growing peppers for household use even farther back than 6,100 years ago, but so far can't pinpoint when domesticated chili peppers first entered the diet.

Although it is generally agreed that the genus Capsicum originated in Bolivia, the centres of domestication of the different species and their dispersal patterns remain speculative, the authors write. With the European conquest, the chili pepper spread around the world and is now associated with the cuisine of many different cultures.

Early Latin American peoples would have found chili peppers, which are rich in vitamin C, to be an excellent complement to fish and starchier foods like maize, beans, yams and corn. "It's also an excellent disguiser," Raymond notes. "If something's not tasting quite right, you can always throw a few chilis in the pot."


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chili; flea; godsgravesglyphs; peppers; redhot; spices
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To: Gabz
Oh man...........I feel really bad, I knew there was someone else (or two)that I forgot to ping to this thread..

How quickly they forget.

Habaneros are among my foavorite chiles........the taste is really awesome - if you can get past the burn :)

Yep, mine too but the pepper so many people are fond of is the jalepeno and I think they are the nastiest tasting peppers out there.

For a milder pepper I like the taste of the cayanne too. (I know I didn't spell that right) but for whatever reason, they don't grow well in my soil.

61 posted on 02/16/2007 1:18:49 PM PST by Graybeard58 (Remember and pray for SSgt. Matt Maupin - MIA/POW- Iraq since 04/09/04)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra; Eric in the Ozarks
Put don't breathe the smoke comin' off the wok. You'll choke horribly!

Been there, done that also!!!!

When I'm making jelly with the habaneros I have to keep a window open - that's a bit rough at this time of the year!!!!

62 posted on 02/16/2007 1:18:55 PM PST by Gabz (I like mine with lettuce and tomato, heinz57 and french-fried potatoes)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
Is it true that the alkaloids in hot peps can ease stomach acid? I hate payin' for Prevacid!

You know, that has been ABSOLUTELY true in my experience. I used to have bad reflux, but now I have no problems.
63 posted on 02/16/2007 1:19:07 PM PST by Edgar3 (DU are the first 2 letters of DUH)
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To: Beelzebubba
What kind do you sell?

I carry all of the major gourmet, i.e. non-grocery store type brands. Dave's Gourmet, Blair's Death Sauces, Ass Kickin', Mad Dog, Original Juan, you name it. Over 800 items at this point.
64 posted on 02/16/2007 1:21:38 PM PST by Edgar3 (DU are the first 2 letters of DUH)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
I'm one of your biggest fans...

It's good to be PyroMan...
65 posted on 02/16/2007 1:23:17 PM PST by Edgar3 (DU are the first 2 letters of DUH)
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To: RightOnTheLeftCoast
Any recommendations?

What type of peppers do you like? Also, how hot? Do you like sweet caribbean type sauces, more bitter habanero or vinegar based, Louisiana style?
66 posted on 02/16/2007 1:26:51 PM PST by Edgar3 (DU are the first 2 letters of DUH)
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To: blam
Chili Paquines (tiny, round and very hot) grow wild in Taos, NM.(supposedly for 5000 yrs.) I believe there is a preserve dedicated to them there.


We have them growing wild in our yard in Texas. Don't know if they were planted here but, I heard a story saying, Mocking birds are the only creature who eat them. Supposedly, the peppers pass through the birds system whole and that's how they are spread. Anyone know more about them?
67 posted on 02/16/2007 1:27:11 PM PST by wolfcreek (Please Lord, May I be, one who sees what's in front of me.)
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To: wolfcreek
If making salsa with habaneros, try using orange juice or pineapple.

Another good one is mango. I've noticed that on many of the habanero hot sauces, carrots are a common ingredient.

68 posted on 02/16/2007 1:27:25 PM PST by Gabz (I like mine with lettuce and tomato, heinz57 and french-fried potatoes)
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To: blam

I understand the recipes were so valuable that a tribal chef would Fight Like A Brave to protect his.


69 posted on 02/16/2007 1:27:45 PM PST by WestVirginiaRebel (A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel-Robert Frost)
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To: Edgar3

Nectar of the Gods!

70 posted on 02/16/2007 1:29:42 PM PST by Doomonyou (Let them eat lead.)
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To: Graybeard58
Yep, mine too but the pepper so many people are fond of is the jalepeno and I think they are the nastiest tasting peppers out there.

When going through my seeds last week, to ready for starting them I actually discovered I have NONE.

For a milder pepper I like the taste of the cayanne too. (I know I didn't spell that right) but for whatever reason, they don't grow well in my soil.

I've never had much luck growing cayennes either. My husband really likes serranos (I doubt that is spelled right either LOL)

71 posted on 02/16/2007 1:31:25 PM PST by Gabz (I like mine with lettuce and tomato, heinz57 and french-fried potatoes)
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To: Edgar3; Gabz
I grow mainly habeneros and use them for salsa and dry and crush some for cooking. Last season I had 60 habenero plants. I've mailed a lot of the flakes to F.R. members at no charge, I even pay the postage. Not a profitable venture. It's a hobby for me.

I live in central Illinois and don't have a long enough growing season to start from seed and no place inside to start them, so I buy plants at a nursery at about $2.00 per plant. I'd have to charge a premium price to go commercial.

This past season as I was peeling and chopping tomatoes for salsa (also from my garden) I told my forgetful friend Gabz, that it might be helpful to find an illegal alien to do it for me but you can never find one when you really need him.

72 posted on 02/16/2007 1:33:14 PM PST by Graybeard58 (Remember and pray for SSgt. Matt Maupin - MIA/POW- Iraq since 04/09/04)
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To: Doomonyou
Nectar of the Gods!

Tru dat. That's been my #1 best selling item for 9 straight years! Dave Hirschkopf is actually a friend of mine. He is a very interesting and highly intelligent guy with a truly warped sense of humor! At the fiery foods show in Albuquerque he wears a straight jacket in his booth and just glares at people as they walk by. He lives in San Fran, so he's not likely to be on this site, but he's a great guy.
73 posted on 02/16/2007 1:35:01 PM PST by Edgar3 (DU are the first 2 letters of DUH)
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To: blam

Right. The hot peppers were a big hit in Europe and soon everywhere. Some of the peppers they grow now would stun a bear.


74 posted on 02/16/2007 1:35:19 PM PST by RightWhale (300 miles north of Big Wild Life)
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To: Centurion2000

75 posted on 02/16/2007 1:36:02 PM PST by jslade (The beatings well cease when morale improves!)
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To: jslade

Ha! Hey, i think that's me!


76 posted on 02/16/2007 1:36:50 PM PST by Edgar3 (DU are the first 2 letters of DUH)
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To: Graybeard58; Edgar3

I'll be happy to ship you all the illegals you need - free of charge and I'll pay the postage :)

Mother nature was not kind to me last year and I lost over 500 pepper and tomato plants. Hopefully I will do better this year.


77 posted on 02/16/2007 1:39:15 PM PST by Gabz (I like mine with lettuce and tomato, heinz57 and french-fried potatoes)
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To: Gabz

....I feel really bad.....

Have some chilis. I'm told the burn produces enzymes that make you feel good.

A prime reson for eating the hot stuff is feeling good.


78 posted on 02/16/2007 1:39:50 PM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. Want a stress free life? vote Republican..)
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To: blam

The HPLC analysis revealed that Orange Habanero had a mean (average) heat level of 357,729 SHU. That's quite a bit, but according to Dr. Bosland, this is in the range normally seen for this cultivar in Las Cruces, NM. (I once tasted Jalapeno peppers right from a field close to Las Cruces, and even those "ordinary" peppers were surprisingly hot.)

Now for Bhut Jolokia -- the analysis revealed that it possessed an extremely high heat level indeed, a whopping 1,001,304 SHU. That's a heat level you normally see only with ultra-hot sauces using pepper extract (capsicum oleoresin).

A different kind of surpise was the test result for Red Savina - it scored a rather low heat level of just 248,556 SHU. This means the SHU value for 'Bhut Jolokia' was four times higher than 'Red Savina' -- so much for "the world's current hottest chile pepper"

79 posted on 02/16/2007 1:40:56 PM PST by Doomonyou (Let them eat lead.)
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To: bert

LOL!!!!

I'm actually eating chips and salsa as I'm typing.


80 posted on 02/16/2007 1:41:33 PM PST by Gabz (I like mine with lettuce and tomato, heinz57 and french-fried potatoes)
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