i guess that's why i don't like stuff thats toooo hot... cause even if if don't kill you going in, it'll surly try on the way out!!!
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."
That's true. Those endorphins start poping off in your brain and its delightful
"No wonder Anthony Kiedis distanced himself from Al Gore at the Grammys."
He couldn't have distanced himself too far... they are playing the SOS gig. Love their music but hate the Pecker's politics.
Right! I forgot the carrots but, I like them in all my hot sauces. They add more sugar also.
I like the carrots also, I just haven't tried using them when I'm making sauce, but I do plan on it.
Do you sell hot sauce in quart size jars? I am looking for a hot sauce that is made from habanero peppers, I can't stand Tobassco Sauce.
The brand I like is El Yucateco, Salsa Picante de Chile Habanero but it is hard to locate in large bottles here in Reno.
AHA!!!!!
We do have El Yucateco, but not in food service sizes
i guess that's why i don't like stuff thats toooo hot... cause even if if don't kill you going in, it'll surly try on the way out!!!
You can find a jumbo Yucateco substitute (green, or orange) in Mexican grocery stores located in Mexican neighborhoods. A little patience and you'll find what you want. South St. Paul had several and I still make it a point to drive over to the area when I'm in the Twin Cities.
We grow it.
There were probably globs of goo floating in the stew unless he made a roux and stirred it in.
Well,,, I guess this thread is dead. But it was fun!
give it away give it away give it away now.
Does it have a brand name?
Eh. It has a lot of heat, but not much flavor otherwise.
My favorite hot sauce was Dragon's Breath, but I've heard that it's no longer made. Nowadays I use El Yucateco "Kutbil-ik" Mayan XXX Hot Sauce on my burgers.
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