Chiles

Chile, chili or chilli 
which is it?  
There is much confusion around 
the spelling of the word.
The Nahuatl Indians called 
the plant chilli, 
and that is the true 
origin of the word, 
no matter how you spell it.  
Generally, proper usage is 
that chile refers to 
the plant or pod, 
while chili refers 
to the traditional dish 
containing meat and chiles , 
and chilli is the 
commercial spice powder that 
contains ground chiles along 
with other seasonings.

More confusion comes 
from the fact that many chiles 
are known by different names 
in different areas. 
For example, the Poblano chile 
is referred to as the 
Pasilla in parts 
of the Southwest.  
The Pasilla is, in fact, 
the dried form of a 
completely different chile, 
the Chilacci.

Sometimes the confusion stems 
from the chiles appearance.  
Red Fresno chiles are sometimes 
mistakenly labeled as 
red jalapenos because 
they are similar in 
shape, size, and color. 
However, the Red Fresno 
is a distinct variety 
with a more pronounced heat.   
Fresh Anaheim chiles and 
New Mexico green chiles 
are also frequently confused. 
They look very much alike, 
but the Anaheim generally
being much milder, 
the New Mexico hotter 
and more refined. 
Dried ancho and mulato chiles 
are often confused.
These are both the dried 
Poblano pepper but are 
distinctly different.  

Another confusion dates 
back to when Columbus 
discovered the capsicum 
and thought he'd found 
the plant that produces 
black pepper.  
True pepper is 
genus piper nigrum, 
and bears no relationship 
to chiles.  
Nevertheless, 
he christened it "pepper," 
and that misnomer has 
persisted ever since.

Chiles were one of 
the earliest plants be 
cultivated and domesticated 
in the New World . 
Archaeological evidence 
suggests that chiles 
were used as a food ingredient 
at least 8,000 years ago - 
around 6200 BC. 

The Mayans cultivated 
many types of chile and  
evidence shows that the 
Aztecs used them 
in almost every dish. 
The sophisticated cuisine 
of the Aztecs, 
which included mole and 
pipian sauces and tamales  
laid the foundations 
for modern Mexican food.

Chiles were also grown 
and used by the ancestors 
of today's Southwestern 
Pueblo Indians 
some 1,000 years ago.

The Spanish colonization 
of the Southwest 
and the further 
development of agriculture, 
were important factors 
in the rapid spread 
of chiles throughout 
that region. 

At the time of Columbus's
"discovery" of "pepper," 
black pepper was a highly 
prized commodity,
as valuable as silver 
in the European marketplace.
He and other explorers 
brought chile seeds back 
to their homelands, 
and the fruit from the plants 
of these seeds received a 
"warm" reception. 
Chiles were found to be 
a good substitute 
for black pepper; 
they added a welcome 
piquancy and flavor 
to the existing cuisines. 
They were also easy to grow. 

Today, chiles are grown 
throughout the world, 
but the major portion 
of the world's 
crop is grown in Mexico. 
They are also widely grown 
in New Mexico ,California, 
Texas, and Arizona. 
Louisiana 
is also a major producer, 
probably because chiles 
are important 
in Creole and Cajun cuisines, 
Louisiana is the home of 
several well-known 
hot chile sauces. 
Tabasco being the 
most well known.