Thousands of years before ketchup, mayonnaise or salsa, there was the red-hot chili pepper. The chili pepper, chilli pepper, or more simply just "chili", is the fruit of the plants from the genus Capsicum. Even though chilis may be thought of as a vegetable, their culinary usage is generally as a spice. The term chili in most of the world refers exclusively to the smaller, hot types of capsicum. The mild larger types are called Bell Pepper in the USA, Simply Pepper in Britain, Canada and Ireland, Capsicum in India and Australasia and Paprika in many European countries.Healthy Chili Pepper
Chili peppers are popular in food. They are rich in vitamin C and provitamin A. and are believed to have many beneficial effects on health. In addition, peppers are a good source of most B vitamins, and vitamin B6 in particular. They are very high in potassium and high in magnesium and iron. Their high vitamin C content can also substantially increase the uptake of non-heme iron from other ingredients in a meal, such as beans and grains.
Health Benefits
All chili peppers contain phytochemicals known collectively as capsaicinoids. Chili Peppers are being probed as a treatment for alleviating chronic pain.
Spices, including chili, are theorized to control the microbial contamination levels of food in countries with minimal or no refrigeration.
Recent research shows that chili (capsaicin in particular) may offer some hope of weight loss for people suffering from obesity.
Hot peppers can provide symptomatic relief from rhinitis and possibly bronchitis by thinning and clearing mucus from stuffed noses or congested lungs. If you like to read more:
Chili Peppers culinary uses
Portuguese Piri-Piri
Piri-piri, peri-peri or peli-peli is the name used in the ex Portuguese Colony of Mozambique to describe the African bird's-eye chili. In Mozambican cuisine, piri-piri is often used in preparing sauces and marinades for roast and grilled dishes, especially chicken and various fish.
Piri-Piri Hot Sauce
This is the West African Hot Sauce made from dried and soaked piri-piri chillies that is a staple condiment used to accompany many soups and stews. Though the origin of this sauce is probably Portuguese it's now well established as a classic condiment and is considered an essential accompaniment to any meal in many european households.
Quinta d'Avo Hot Sauce Piri-Piri
Portuguese Cuisine
Portuguese cuisine is characterised by rich, filling and full-flavoured dishes and is a prime example of a Mediterranean diet. The influence of Portugal's former colonial possessions is clear, especially in the wide variety of spices used. This includes Piri-Piri together with Olive oil one of the bases of Portuguese cuisine - both for cooking and flavouring meals.
Frango assado (Barbecued chicken) is the most famous dish of Portuguese cuisine, which is a barbecued chicken coated with spicy piri piri hotsauce.
Another common Portuguese dish, mainly eaten in winter, is the cozido à portuguesa, which somewhat parallels the French pot au feu.