Thoughts on Cayenne Pepper

This is not a traditional recipe post. I have just been really into cayenne pepper for the past week or so and wanted to share! Cayenne pepper is very strong stuff, it ranges from 30,000 to 50,000 scoville units, but when used in very small doses it packs a lot of flavor into a very small bite.

Like I mentioned in past blogs, my vegetable intake has been way up. Usually my focus is on recipes centering protein but I am looking for ways to add flavor and excitement to the vegetables to make them the centerpiece and not a side. So far in the Keenie Kitchen, the marvelous jar of cayenne pepper has been that needed extra sumtin, sumtin, (something, something). For those with taste buds that can't handle the spice, even a small dash will add that great flavor without sending you out for a gallon of milk to wash away the spice burning your mouth. This post is so appropriate with our local temperatures at -6 below! I am mentally trying to heat it up!

I have done a little research that adds great reasons to why cayenne pepper is at the front of my spice cabinet and had to share some highlights, maybe make you a believer too (if you aren't already).

Medical Benefits, Really? :

American Illustrated Medical Dictionary, the Merck Manual and Materia Medica, have labeled Cayenne Pepper to be a rubefacient, local stimulant, counter-irritant, gastric stimulant, and diaphoretic. Mexican Indians today use Capsicum as an intestinal disinfectant and protectant against contaminated food, and to treat fevers.

Nutrition:

What's the History? : (not in my own words... but still oh so interesting)

Capsicum also known as cayenne pepper has been known to the natives of the tropical Americas for thousands of years. It was first introduced to Europe by Christopher Columbus as Guinea Pepper and was originally used by Native Americans that were located south of the Mexican border as early as 700 B.C. The mixture of chocolate and red chilies was a taste treat that was reserved exclusively for Aztec royalty. Although the exact origin of the word Capsicum is somewhat a mystery, it is assumed to be derived from the Greek word kapto, which means to bite. Capsicum is a fruit found on a shrub-like tropical plant that is technically considered a berry. The designation of it as a pepper can be traced back to Columbus, who compared its hot taste sensation with that, a black pepper.

Gerard referred to Capsicum as extremely hot and dry in 1597 and prescribed it to those with skin and throat infections. The health practitioners of the 1800s used Capsicum to counteract rheumatism, arthritis, depression, and chills. Capsicum was used in the early 1800s as a potent and safe natural stimulant and was believed to be able to treat a large array of diseases. It was first used orally to treat tumors, toothaches, fevers, and respiratory conditions.

This cayenne red pepper was introduced to England by Dr. John Stevens in 1804 when it became the catalyst component in many herbal blends. Additionally, herbal and medical practitioners used Capsicum in order to fight infection and sustain the natural heat that the body produces. After, it became very well known in American dispensatories and pharmacopeia. In 1943, The Dispensary of the United States recorded Capsicum to be a powerful local stimulant that produces a sense of heat in the stomach and a general glow over the whole body when it is swallowed. It does all of this without having a narcotic effect.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/history-of-capsicum-cayenne-pepper-517487.html#ixzz1CjTBwuiK

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Facts from:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/201/2

http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/history-of-capsicum-cayenne-pepper-517487.html