I love Christopher Columbus

This   is taken when I went to Coorg, the place to be in if you are looking for spices and coffee. From all the plants, what caught my attention was this shiny little green beauty with which I did not miss clicking a pic.

These chillies are used regularly in my kitchen.

This plant is in my tiny kitchen balcony, swaying happily. Knowing how passionate I am about chillies, the seeds were brought by my daughter straight from Brazil!!! From the time I have discovered that Brazil is the motherland of the Chilli, whenever I look at the chillies on this plant, I sway and am as happy as a lark as if a daisy has bloomed in my garden:)

This one is not a dish but a spicy article which I felt like writing, dedicating it to the most vibrant  ingredient in my kitchen. The article will slowly open the secret to my title!!

Chillies are a very very essential ingredient of  Indian kitchens, as I started learning more and more about food, I discovered that it also has a place in
Thai, Mexican, Korean and Portugal cuisines.

I love chillies is my tagline you can safely say, I say it as often as I can. Then they may be fresh green chillies, yellow chillies, dry red chillies, Thai chillies, Mexican chillies, bird eye chillies, Guntur chillies, Byadgi chillies, fried chillies, stuffed dry chillies, curries made of chillies, saalan made of chillies, jalapenos, or the simple humble maharashtrian  chutney called thecha which always has a special place in my fridge and my heart. Phew!! I just felt like a waiter in a restaurant rattling off the names of dishes from the menu, hehe...

For people who do think that the chilli originates in India this will be a piece of information that, the green chilli actually travelled via the Spice Route when it swiped places in America with black pepper . Dr. Nandita Iyer says in her article published in Mint, that the birth place of chillies can safely be called South America. The domestication started in  Brazil, Bolivia and Mexico. Farming was done between 5000 BC and 3500 BC. How it travelled in exchange for black pepper from South and Central America to Portugal and Spain via what is called Columbia to India and other South Asian countries, is a fascinating journey. This was the phenomenon of transfer of plants, animals and cultures between American and Afro-Eurasian hemispheres in the 15th and the 16th centuries after Christopher Columbus' 1492 voyage. From Spain and Portugal, chillies reached India and South Asian countries via the same Spice Route that took black pepper from India to America. I say, let America keep the black pepper, no problem, we have the spicier counterpart! Portuguese brought them during their first trip around Cape of Good Hope in 1498. Columbus thus set sail to find Silk Route and Spice Route from the East and chillies found a permanent home here. So, the title "I love Christopher Columbus!"

Now for some scientific knowledge of the chillies. The chemical compound found in them that causes the heat and the burning sensation is Capsiacin.This finds a place in ointments used for pain relief too. Spiciness is measured in SHU that is Scoville Heat Units. Bell peppers have a 0 level of SHU in them,
hence are not full of heat.

Chillies add a vibrant colour to the dish and taste to otherwise bland vegetables, rice, meat and grain dishes. Most importantly, they give a balance to the
sweet, sour and salty taste of the dishes.

Harissa Sauce from North America, Mexican Adobo Sauce features Chiptole and Ancho chillies, They give a smoky aroma to the dish. Gohujang from Korea, Sriracha from Thailand, Piri Piri from Portugal are all sauces made from chillies.

Closer to home, Maharashtrian Thecha, The Molga Podis from South, Rajasthani stuffed chilli pickle, Stuffed chillies dried and fried, are had too with poha and curd rice, Mirch bhajiyas, Hyderabadi mirch ka saalan, Bharwan mirch are all names of a few dishes savored in India featuring
CHILLI as the hero of the dish.

I would like to thank Dr. Nandita from whose informative article I have stated some of the facts in my write-up.