Chili Powder

Common Name

Chili powder is a combination of different varieties of chili peppers ground up and most-often mixed with cumin, garlic, oregano and salt. Generally, chili powder includes, Cayenne, Ancho, New Mexico and Chipotle peppers, all species of Capsicum annum.

✭ ✭ ✭ Try making your own chili powder - start with equal parts dried cayenne or similarly hot (see Scoville  scale below) pepper, garlic powder, cumin, oregano and smoked paprika, grind to uniform fine consistency and adjust to taste, adding sea salt if desired.

Chili peppers have been domesticated in South America for over 6,000 years, but it was Christopher Columbus who brought them back to Europe. Mistaking them for black pepper, the Spanish called them peppers, but soon started calling them 'pimienta' in order to distinguish them from the former. It wasn't long before they were cultivated all across Europe.

By the 18th century, chili peppers were being ground into powder and added to recipes. The powder was made especially popular in England during the 1850s', where cooks would add peppers to Indian inspired dishes.

In the New World, the first commercial chili powder was created by William Gebhardt, a German living in Texas in 1890. In 1911, he wrote the first Mexican cookbook to be sold in the United States.

There are many different kinds of chili peppers, each with their own unique and distinct flavor. Easily grown in most parts of the world, Capisum annuum is a herbaceous annual that produces many of the most common culinary peppers, such as Ancho, Cayenne, Jalapeno, New Mexico and Pimento. Most peppers found within Chili powder are from the Capisum annuum. Other varieties include: Capsicum frutescens, source of the Tabasco pepper and Capsicum chinense, source of Habenero peppers.

JUST HOW HOT IS HOT?

• 0-100 Scoville Units - Bell & Sweet pepper varieties.
• 100-500 Scoville Units - Pimento peppers & Pepperoncini.
• 500-1,000 Scoville Units - New Mexican peppers.
• 500-2,500 Scoville Units - Anaheim peppers
• 1,000-1,500 Scoville Units - Espanola & Poblano peppers.
• 1,000-2,000 Scoville Units - Ancho & Pasilla peppers.
• 1,000-2,500 Scoville Units - Cascabel & Cherry peppers.
• 2,500-8,000 Scoville Units - Jalapeno & Mirasol peppers.
• 10,000-20,000 Scoville Units - Serrano peppers.
• 15,000-30,000 Scoville Units - de Arbol peppers.
• 30,000-50,000 Scoville Units - Cayenne, Pequin & Tabasco peppers.
• 50,000-100,000 Scoville Units - Chiltepin peppers & Malagueta peppers.
• 100,000-350,000 Scoville Units - Scotch Bonnet & Thai peppers.
• 200,000 to 300,000 Scoville Units - Habanero peppers.
• 16,000,000+ Scoville Units - Pure Capsaicin

**Scoville units are a unit of heat measurement created in 1912 by chemist Wilbur Scoville. Today, HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) performs objective heat analysis to measure total heat present and levels of capsaicinoids.

Purported Medicinal Qualities*

The many different chili peppers ground into chili powder carry a range of reported health benefits. Most of these benefits can be attributed to the same substance that regulates their heat, the capsaicin. A natural pain reliever, capsaicin may also significantly improve cardiovascular health.

Historically, chili peppers and chili powder have been used to:

• Reduce cholesterol and triglycerides
• Soothe stomach aches
• Reduce rheumatic pains and arthritis
• Induce perspiration - used in hot climates to cool skin
• As a source of vitamin A and C and beta carotene
• Hasten the release of endorphins
• Increase metabolism and blood flow
• Fight inflammation
• Relieve congestion and stuffiness
• Clear nasal passages
• Boost the immune system
• Kill bacteria that can lead to stomach ulcers
• Promote weight loss
• Treat headaches, sore throats and tooth aches
• Aid poor digestion
• Stimulate saliva production
• Reduce fevers
• Promote circulation

*Always check with your healthcare provider before consuming, inhaling or otherwise ingesting any non-prescription or prescription natural or homeopathic substance or pharmaceutical. ChefatHand.com is not recommending, suggesting, inferring or otherwise endorsing the use of any herb or spice as a medication.

Culinary/Suggested Use

Chili powder is an excellent addition to many foods and of course is most often added to chili. Chili powder should be bright in color and stored in an airtight container, away from heat and light. Try making your own chili powder by drying different varieties of peppers and blending them in a food processor to create a powder. Food for thought:

• Add chili powder to corn bread
• Sprinkle chili powder over eggs or omelettes
• Add chili powder to salsa or other dips
• Add chili powder to ground beef or turkey
• Add chili powder to soups, stews or stocks
• Add chili powder to sauces and marinades
• Sprinkle chili powder over potatoes or hash browns
• Add chili powder to any Mexican, Cuban or Latin recipe
• Spice up tuna salad or egg salad with a sprinkle of chili powder

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