Chili pepper is a common household spice that had been in existence for a hundreds of years. It is a vegetable but is commonly referred to as a spice variety. Chili pepper contributes to the hotness and spicy taste in a meal. Some countries and regions all over the world uses chili peppers as a table sauce that are eaten directly with the meal. Sounds hot, isnt it? Chili pepper is an ordinary kitchen staple ingredient. Some households incorporate chili peppers in their meals everyday. A meal is never a meal without chili pepper.
Chili pepper has a chemical composition called Capsaicin that is responsible for its hot flavor that characterizes a slight to medium burning sensation in the mouth. Capsaicin can be effectively washed down with milk (not water), as milk is a perfect neutralizer for Capsaicin. Chili peppers are also used in medicine preparations. Chili peppers come in different variations such as: jalapeno, habanero, tabasco, cayenne, etc. The types of chili also range from sweet peppers, hot peppers and bell peppers.
Chili cook offs are done in Arizona to celebrate this famous spice. Some organizations such as the Chili Appreciation Society International, Inc. (CASI) had been promoting this kitchen recipe wonder to be the National Food of the United States of America. They are harvesting funds through cook offs for charity and public awareness through education of chili. They wanted to promote to the public the historical and cultural significance of chili.
Chili cook offs are often contests. The usual criteria in winning the best chili recipe are: aroma, the red color, consistency, taste and aftertaste. The winning chili recipe usually receives a cash award and a feature in the organizing partys website that shows the recipe formulations.
Many recipes can be done with using chili as the base ingredient; the most popular is perhaps the chili con carne which is translatable in English as chili and meat. Chili con carne is a classic favorite and it is often referred to as a Mexican delicacy although roots are actually traced back to Texas.
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