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Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous 

Few exciting questions about chillies: 

# Why is chilli hot to taste? 
Chilli is hot and stimulating with very less aroma when eaten. Chilli contains capsaicin, an alkaloid substance which makes chilli hot to taste. Capsaicin is present in chilli seeds and membranes. When chilli powder is swallowed, capsaicin makes the brain to release a neurotransmitter called substance P. This makes brain think that the body is in pain making body respond to chilli. The heart beats rapidly and the natural painkiller endorphin is secreted. 

# Which is the hottest chilli in the world? Where is it found? 
The hottest chilli in the world is the “Naga Jolokia” which read 855,000 in the Scoville Scale. Naga Jolokia has replaced Mexican chilli Red Savina Habanero which scales 557,000 in Scoville units. The Naga Jolokia is found in hilly terrain Tezpur town of Assam in India. 

# What is Scoville Scale? 
Scoville Scale is a method of finding the heat of the chilli. This method was invented by a chemist, Wilbur Scoville in 1912. This is a subjective test where the capsaicin extracted from chilli is soaked in alcohol. The soaked extract is later mixed with sweetened water and given to the human tasters to determine if there is pungency in the chilli. Pure capsaicin scales 16,000,000 Scoville units. 

# What is the origin of the chilli?
Chilli was used in Mexico as early as 7000 BC. The chilli was brought to rest of the world when the Italian Spanish navigator Christopher Columbus discovered America. He mistook the chilli for pepper and took it to Spain which later spread to rest of the world. In May 28, 1498, Chilli was brought to India by the Portuguese explorer Vasco-da-Gama. Soon chilli became an important ingredient in Indian cuisine. 

# What are Mexican Ristras?
The Mexican Ristras is the oldest traditional method of drying the chillies. Mexicans tie the chillies with cotton string also called ristras. There are many different methods of making Mexican ristras. The chillies could be tied in a cluster, two three chillies, or just single chilli per knot. When hung Mexican ristras look so beautiful, that it is used for decorative purpose too. 

# How to dry chillies?
You can lay out the chillies in sun. As the sun does not dry the chillies completely, it is good to smoke to preserve them. 

# How to preserve chillies for longer time? 
You can dry, freeze, or smoke the chillies to preserve them. Do not forget to break the stalks. This will preserve both green chilli and red chilli for longer time. You can store them in air tight container and keep it away from heat. Chillies can also be preserved by canning them. Green chillies can be preserved and prevented from turning it red by removing the stalk and storing them in dry bags. 

# The color of dried and grounded chilli powder fades away after few days. How to preserve the color of chilli powder for longer time?
To preserve the color of the chilli, you can add little groundnut oil to the chilli powder. This will keep the red color of the chilli powder for longer period. A pinch of asafoetida or raw salt can preserve chilli powder. 

# How to prevent the throat irritation while frying the chilli powder?
Add little salt to prevent throat burning. 

# What is the remedy if I have burned my mouth from eating too much of chilli?
Milk, Milk cream, curd, and other dairy products will reduce the burning sensation in your mouth. Drinking water will not help the situation. 

# How to reduce the burning sensation caused by chilli or chilli powder while handling them?
Apply oil to your hands before cutting the chillies. If you have not used oil and feel burning sensation then it is good to wash them with sugar and tamarind. 


Ornamental Chilli 

Ornamental is a member of the Solanaceae family which includes brinjals, tomatoes, tobacco, potatoes and petunias. They are colourful plants which are best grown under good sunlight. 

Ornamental Chillies

They require regular watering and remove the dead fruits promptly to encourage new growth. Use a fertilizer specially formulated for fruits and vegetables. Spray mist the leaves regularly as hot dry air will cause the leaves to shrivel and drop. Keep an eye for red spider mites which thrive in hot and dry conditions. Never handle the members of the solanaceae family after smoking or handling tobacco as this can spread the tobacco mosaic virus. If you must really handle them, wash your hands in milk which will deactivate the tobacco mosaic virus. Handle the fruits with care as the juice can irritate eyes and skin.