Take a Tour of the Chili Peppers Used Around the World
Despite all the drawbacks of living in an increasingly globalized community, at least when it comes to food, globalization has brought with it only opportunity. Now, regardless of whether you’re from Napa Valley, California or the farmlands of Magome, Japan, you can try just about any food from anyplace else in the world, without ever leaving your home.
In the end, it all boils down to getting your hands on great recetas de cocina, regardless of whether you want to make arroz con pollo, ceviche, or otherwise. However, even if you get a completely authentic recipe, it won’t amount to much unless you get the right ingredients.
Whether you’re talking about Hispanic food or Asian, one of the ingredients that home cooks too often get wrong is the type of chili peppers they use. From heat to smokey flavors, using the wrong chili can mean completely ruining otherwise perfect recetas de comida. Make sure that doesn’t happen to you by taking this quick tour through the most popular chilis as they’re used across the world.
The Chilis Used in Popular Recetas de Comida Around the World
- The Ominous Carolina Reaper
- The Misleading Hot Banana
- Peru’s Beloved Aji
- The Universal Chili: the Jalapeno
As the popular chili-head website Crazy Hot Seeds details, the single hottest chili pepper in the world was bred right here in the United States. Originating in the Carolinas, the Carolina Reaper is used in gumbos and other southern dishes from North Carolina to Louisiana. Bred only for heat, this pepper makes the perfect punchy companion for any dish born in the American South.
The Hungarian Banana Pepper, so named because of its yellow color and banana-like curvature, has something of a misleading name. While it is undoubtedly sweet, it also has a good kick to it. Hence why, as Chow reports, it’s used to put a little spice into Hungarian stews.
Peru, thought to be the birthplace of the first ceviche recipe, is certainly no stranger to chili peppers. The Aji chili is ubiquitous through the region, lending its potent peppery power to grilled chicken, stews, and much more. Any dish from Peru will benefit from the addition of this chili, though you need to keep in mind it comes in at around 50,000 Scovilles.
No chili, perhaps, makes an appearance in so many different cuisines as the humble jalapeno. Used to brighten Vietnamese pho or to put a little backbone into the classic Mexican taco, you can use the jalapeno as a reliable substitute in just about any dish, from just about any region. Just don’t underestimate the fresh variety; they have a lot more firepower than the pickled versions you might be used to.
What sort of chilis do use in your regional recetas de comida? Let us know in the comment section below.
