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History and Uses of Chili Peppers

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30 views4 pages

History and Uses of Chili Peppers

Uploaded by

spch1010wgturner
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Sample Informative Speech Outline

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience on the history and uses of chili peppers.
Thesis Statement: The fascinating subject of chili peppers can be divided into its history, its
edible properties, and its non-traditional uses.

Introduction
Imagine your mouth burning like wildfire, your eyes squirting out uncontrollable tears,
and your face red and sweating profusely. Are you sick? No, you just took a bite of a screaming
hot chili pepper. Congratulations. You’re partaking in a worldwide tradition that has been
spicing up lives and diets for thousands of years.
My own desire for spicy meals led me to investigate why I get red in the face and
salivate over the mere thought of eating a spicy chili. In the process, I’ve discovered there’s a
lot more to chili peppers than I’d ever imagined. Today I’d like to share with you what I’ve
learned about the history of chili peppers, why they can be so spicy, what to do if you eat a too-
hot pepper, and some of the ways peppers are used other than in foods.

Body
I. Chili peppers have a long and fascinating history.
A. Its scientific name is Capsicum.
1. This is different from common black pepper.
a. Piper Nigrum was first cultivated in Asia and was prized in the West as
early as the Roman Empire.
2. In contrast, the chili pepper originated more than 5,00 years ago in South
America, near what is today Bolivia and Brazil.
a. Over time, it spread to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
B. But it wasn’t until Columbus came in the 1490’s that the chili pepper became
known to the rest of the world.
1. According to The Cambridge World History of Food, within fifty years after
Columbus returned to Spain, chili peppers could be found growing in coastal
areas from Africa to Asia.
2. From there, they spread inland, until they took hold of the taste buds of
people from around the globe.
C. Today they’re most widely used in Mexico, Central and South America, Africa,
Asia, the Balkans, and the United States.
1. Carolyn Dillie and Susan Belsinger, authors of The Chili Pepper Book, estimate
that 25% of the world’s adult population uses chili peppers as a part of their
daily diet.

Transition: Now that we know a little about the history of chili peppers, let’s
see why they can put such a fire in our belly.

II. Chili peppers have certain culinary chemical properties.


A. The pleasure and pain involved in eating chili peppers comes from a chemical
called capsaicin.
1. Capsaicin is concentrated in the pepper’s veins and seeds.
2. To enjoy the flavor of a chili pepper without burning your mouth or stomach,
avoid the veins and seeds when cooking or eating them.
B. P.W. Bosland tells us in the book Spices, Herbs, and Edible Fungi, that chili
pepper intensity is measured in two ways.
1. The first was developed by Wilbur L. Scoville in 1912.
a. This method uses trained testers to measure chili peppers in Scoville Heat
Units.
b. These range from 0 to 300,000.
c. According to Bosland, this test is subjective because it relies on the
individual tester’s sensitivity to capsaicin.
2. The second method is called the High Performance Liquid Chromatography
test, a.k.a HPLC.
a. This is also uses Scoville Heat Units, but it’s more objective.
b. The chili pods are dried and ground, and then the chemicals responsible
for the heat are analyzed and rated according to pungency.
3. The hottest pepper on record is the deceptively small and unimposing orange
habanero pepper.
a. It’s been rated as high as 300,000 Scoville Heat Units, and it’s so powerful
that some people have an allergic reaction just by touching it.
4. The mildest pepper is the standard green bell, which has been rated at zero
Scoville Heat Units.
C. If you eat an orange habanero pepper, it’s important to know how to deal with
the burning sensation.
1. Do not rinse your mouth with water.
a. Dave Dewitt in The Chili Pepper Encyclopedia tells us capsaicin is not
soluble in water, and even if you drink a gallon, it is not going to help.
2. According to the Chili Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University, the
best solution is to consume dairy products, such as milk or yogurt, which
contain a substance that strips away capsaicin from the interior cells of your
mouth.
a. This is why some hot foods, like Indian foods, are served with yogurt
sauce.
3. If you burn your skin, the Institute recommends cleaning the area with
rubbing alcohol and then soaking it in milk.
4. Above all remember two things: always wear gloves and never rub your eyes.

Transition: Although chili peppers are prized above all for the flavor they add
to food, they have other benefits as well.

III. Chili peppers also have non-culinary practical and medicinal uses.
A. Pepper sprays have become a standard weapon for the personal protection of
individuals and law-enforcement agencies.
1. The New York Times reports that sales of pepper sprays have risen steadily
and show no signs of slowing.
B. Chili peppers are also valued for their medicinal properties.
1. According to Jack Challem, author of The Nutrition Reporter, there have been
more than 1,300 medical studies on capsaicin.
a. Moderate doses have been proved to aid digestion, reduce hypertension,
improve circulation, and help dissolve blood clots.
b. Professor Kenji Okajima at Japan’s Kumamato University School of
Medicine suggests that a combination of chili peppers and soybeans can
promote hair growth and might hold promise as a cure for baldness.

Conclusion
In closing, it’s difficult to imagine our lives without chili peppers. From their origins in
South America to their current popularity around the world, peppers have been used not only
to flavor our food but also to improve our health and personal safety. While it remains to be
seen whether or not chili peppers can actually cure baldness, we can be sure this ancient plant
will continue to find new uses in our modern age.
Works Cited

Bosland, P.W. “Chiles: History, Cultivation, and Uses.” Spices, Herbs, and Edible Fungi. Ed. G.

Charalambous. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science B.V., 1994. 347-366.

Challem, Jack. “Chili Pepper Studies.” The Nutrition Reporter. Ed. Jack Challem. January 2010. 2

Feb. 2010. <[Link]

DeWitt, Dave. The Chili Pepper Encyclopedia. 1st ed. New York: William Morrow & Co., 1999.

Dille, Carolyn and Susan Belsinger. The Chile Pepper Book: A Fiesta of Fiery, Flavorful Recipes.

Loveland, CO: Interweave Press, LLC., 1994.

Kiple, Kenneth and Kriemhild Coneè Ornelas, eds. The Cambridge World History of Food.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.

New Mexico State University: Chili Pepper Institute. 2011. 29 Jan. 2011

<[Link]

“Pepper Spray Sales Steady.” The New York Times. 6 June 2010, A3.

Common questions

Powered by AI

Chili peppers originated over 5,000 years ago in South America, near present-day Bolivia and Brazil. They spread to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. During the 1490s, Columbus introduced chili peppers to the rest of the world. Within fifty years, they were cultivated in coastal areas from Africa to Asia and spread globally, becoming a part of the diet for 25% of the world's adult population .

Capsaicin is responsible for the spiciness of chili peppers and is concentrated in their veins and seeds. The intensity of the heat is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU), initially established by the Scoville Organoleptic Test which relies on human testers' subjective assessments. A more objective method, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), analyzes the capsaicin content in dried and ground chili pods, also using SHU .

Chili peppers, through over 1,300 studies, have been linked to health benefits including improved digestion, reduced hypertension, better circulation, and blood clot dissolution. Additional research suggests their potential in promoting hair growth, indicating a prospective role in treating baldness when combined with soybeans .

Chili peppers' global popularity can be attributed to their early distribution by Columbus, integrating them into varied diets due to their unique flavor and health benefits. Their vivid taste appeals to different cultures, with 25% of the adult population incorporating them into daily meals. Regions like Mexico, South America, Africa, and Asia particularly embraced them due to these attributes .

Chili peppers were introduced to European cuisine following Columbus's voyages in the 1490s. This marked the beginning of their spread from the Americas to the rest of the world, becoming widespread in various continents within fifty years and heavily influencing global culinary practices .

Beyond culinary uses, chili peppers are utilized in personal protection and law enforcement through pepper sprays, which have seen steady sales. Medicinally, capsaicin is used to aid digestion, reduce hypertension, improve circulation, and help dissolve blood clots. Research also suggests potential benefits like hair growth promotion .

The orange habanero is considered one of the hottest peppers because it has been rated up to 300,000 Scoville Heat Units. Precautions include wearing gloves when handling to prevent capsaicin-induced skin burns and avoiding touching the face or eyes to prevent severe irritation .

The objective method for measuring chili pepper heat intensity is High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). It improves on the Scoville Organoleptic Test by analyzing dried chili chemical content to provide a precise and unbiased heat rating in Scoville Heat Units, thus overcoming the subjective variability of human taste perception .

Chili peppers and black pepper present contrasting historical trajectories. While black pepper (Piper Nigrum) was prized in the West since the Roman Empire, originating in Asia, chili peppers were discovered in South America. Post-Columbus, chili peppers found global acceptance, similar to black pepper's ancient role, yet offered exotic fiery flavors that reshaped multiple cuisines and entrenched themselves in comparable cultural staples .

To alleviate the burning sensation from eating chili peppers, consuming dairy products like milk or yogurt is effective because they contain substances that strip capsaicin from the mouth's interior cells. Capsaicin is not water-soluble, thus drinking water won't alleviate the burn. Rubbing alcohol followed by a milk soak is recommended for capsaicin burns on the skin .

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