Red ground pepper is considered a popular seasoning in different countries. It is prepared from hot peppers. But since there are many varieties of it in the world, the taste characteristics of each finished mixture will vary significantly. There are even species that, when in contact with the skin, instantly cause an allergic reaction.
History and facts
It is believed that the homeland of the plant is the tropical zone of America. This is proved by the fact that during the burials of the Peruvian inhabitants, hot ground pepper was laid in the graves along with the dead. It was discovered during historical excavations and received the status of an obligatory part of the funeral ritual.
Archaeologists have come to the conclusion that the Peruvians attributed some special abilities to this representative of the flora, elevating them to the rank of sacred plants. Because of this, all the dead, in their opinion, would hardly be able to do without chili in the next world. Even after centuries, it can be found in tropical forests, where it grows without human cultivation.
In addition to the fact that the burning component has found its wide application in cooking, it is also attracted for use in many other areas. In the pharmacy, you can buy special pepper patches, which are designed to alleviate the current condition of the patient during colds.
Despite the fact that the taste of the product makes the mouth literally burn, if you go too far with the dosage, manufacturers have learned how to add it to toothpastes. These remedies are aimed at helping during inflammation of the gums, accelerating the healing of small wounds.
The bitter version of the seasoning came to the territory of Rus’ around the 16th century. Then it was valued almost worth its weight in gold, which was typical of almost all the spices of that era. Only wealthy people could afford to season main dishes with it, adding ginger and other expensive spicy ingredients to the base mixture.
Today, the cost of one bag is no longer a luxury for buyers, as the spice export was established a couple of hundred years ago on a stable basis. In addition to growing raw materials in the hot countries of East Asia and India, it is sown in the fields of Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
At the same time, experienced chefs claim that the best varieties grow in Indochina and Vietnam, since the local climatic conditions are an ideal habitat. The local weather allows you to freely dry the resulting crop. Sometimes it is delivered in this form, and people who know how to grind the workpiece cope with the task on their own. But most of the inhabitants still prefer to buy the dry composition in ground form, since the very procedure of turning the pod into powder is painful for the eyes.
A completely “lazy” version is a ready-made spicy complex, supplied directly from factories in Southeast Asia. The composition already includes salt, various pepper varieties. Sometimes the box provides for exotic combinations, where cinnamon or turmeric got into. But more often, the instructions on the package indicate that crushed dried paprika got into the bag, somewhat reducing the degree of spiciness.
The classic preparation of a burning powder involves the collection of fully ripened fruits of the genus Capsicum. According to the biological classification, it is categorized as a nightshade family and in each country it is called differently:
- Chile;
- burning;
- red;
- cayenne;
- acute.
The instruction on how to prepare a product for sale is simple, because it involves only two steps. The first is based on drying in the sun, which is necessary to get rid of excess moisture. Once the pods are completely shriveled, they can be sent for grinding.
The most valuable varieties are specially processed by hand. Their powder is then sold in small doses to the best restaurants in the world to make an excellent marinade based on them.
Every year, several new varieties of culinary miracles appear in the world. The sweet version of this kind of spice is simply called paprika, and the most spicy mixtures are made from chili. In addition to the percentage of spiciness, it is difficult to determine how this seasoning differs, since its overall taste remains almost identical.
Natural healer
The secret weapon of the product is the alkaloid capsaicin. It is he who leaves the sensation of a burning fire on the tongue. But besides it, the composition will please with three vital vitamins of groups:
- BUT;
- IN;
- C.
But there are practically no essential oils, which explains the almost complete absence of a characteristic aroma. Even GOST indicates that the smell should have mild notes.
Cooking is considered the most voluminous area of application of spices for a reason. Since ancient times, cooks have known that even the fattest meat will lose its increased calorie content if a measured proportion of pepper is added to the marinade. This is explained by the fact that the spice simplifies the digestion of heavy foods, which is especially helpful for weight loss.
But it seems to many hostesses that adding it exclusively to meat is a waste of the taste of the product. They learned how to add it to many other dishes, applying it to fish, sauces, casseroles and even chocolate. And sauerkraut with its addition turns into a real meal.
In addition to a positive effect on the stomach, it has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the intestines. The benefit is based on the bactericidal properties of the original powder. When it enters the intestines, the elements responsible for resisting pathogens begin to methodically destroy harmful bacteria.
If you know exactly how to make a good savory blend of several varieties of pepper, you can learn how to help the gastrointestinal tract cope with the effects of overeating.
It has a composition and two other useful qualities:
- diuretic;
- hematopoietic.
But the data regarding the effect on the reproductive system of women differ. Some researchers claim that it has a beneficial effect on relieving pain during painful menstruation. Opponents of the theory believe that these properties only worsen the picture, since the waste of blood begins to occur more abundantly. Since reviews on a given question vary, experts recommend that you first check with your gynecologist whether the product is useful for a particular patient.
In addition to internal use, the spice is often found as a means for hair growth and for other cosmetic purposes. But, despite the fact that such a mask really provokes accelerated hair growth, the effect of its use does not last long. And after about a month the hair grows very quickly, a person will notice how much the regrown parts differ from the new ones in terms of the thickness of the hair. Against this background, experienced hairdressers are asked not to use a recipe from traditional medicine, if you do not want to worsen the situation over time.
According to the same principle, gruel for nails is made. But after the phase of accelerated growth, the nail plate becomes thinner, and the result returns to the original. From a physiological point of view, growth is explained by the stimulation of blood circulation, which involves the delivery of nutrients to the right place. But after a while the body gets tired of the unjustified load and fails.
It is much more effective to make your own pepper-based solution for:
- immunity strengthening;
- treatment of angina and bronchitis;
- relief from asthma.
Not everyone knows how useful this product is for losing weight. Due to the normalization of metabolism and the ability to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, it helps in the battle for harmony.
In addition to a number of vitamins, the spice has many trace elements in stock:
- iron;
- zinc;
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- magnesium.
It is unlikely that it will be possible to say exactly how much fatty oils and sugars are in each fruit, since it completely depends on the variety chosen. But they all received more carotenoids and capsorubin.
Together, this contributes to the protection of the body at the cellular level from deformation and degeneration. This spectrum of influence will be especially useful for older people who suffer from arthritis. The spice also works to prevent oncological tumors.
Negative side
In addition to many positive qualities, seasonings also have negative sides. Usually, for healthy people, the harm is limited only to exceeding the individual dosage, which provokes inflammation of the mucous membranes of the stomach.
For the same reason, its consumption is contraindicated for those who suffer from diagnosed ailments:
- stomach;
- intestines;
- increased likelihood of an allergic reaction.
Particularly careful people exclude not only unprocessed pepper during heat treatment, but also seaming based on it. Even adjika is banned from them.
Some who want to gain slender forms do not listen to the precepts of doctors, using recipes from traditional medicine for weight loss without prior approval from a nutritionist. The most popular option for reducing body fat involves adding seasoning to kefir.
For each consumer, a certain pepper dosage is calculated per hundred grams of liquid. But some particularly impatient patients exceed the norm set by the doctor, which after a couple of days makes itself felt by a violation of the stool and pain in the abdomen.
It is also necessary to be careful about the popular recipe for raising the body’s energy forces at home. It relies on adding a little cinnamon and red pepper to strong coffee. But for people with a sick heart, pressure problems and a number of other problems, such an offer can only do harm.
Secrets of ground seasoning
Even professionals recommend adding unpeeled pods to the dish at the cooking stage for just a couple of minutes, and then remove them and throw them away. This will allow you to more accurately adjust the sharpness than when pouring the powder.
Another useful tip for controlling the taste characteristics of a future dinner is to prepare spices for the winter yourself. There are several reasons for this, but the most important is the guarantee that the bag does not contain preservatives and other chemicals.
The easiest way is to grow raw materials yourself. If a dozen years ago people used vegetable gardens or summer cottages for this, today enterprising hostesses have gotten the hang of using flower pots for identical purposes. Flowerpots are put on a balcony or just a windowsill, growing a spicy crop right in the apartment.
Since the bushes are not particularly whimsical to care for and give a stable harvest for a long time, it will always be possible to have a source of sharpness at hand. Experienced gardeners recommend starting to grow several different varieties for a trial in order to decide on the most favorite, and then deal only with it.
If you want to prepare a quality product that will delight you with taste characteristics for a long time, then you need to send for grinding only dried specimens along with seeds. Moreover, it is not necessary to dry the raw materials in the oven or in a frying pan. Everything should go naturally in a well-ventilated area.
The quality result should be red or orange-red. To do this, one should not be greedy when selecting candidates for grinding, putting aside damaged specimens or those that have spots.
For grinding, you can use a coffee grinder, which is then thoroughly washed. But if you don’t want to spoil the technique, then you can use a special kitchen mortar. At the same time, good grinding provides for large particles, and not almost weightless dust, as is often the case with purchased analogues.
Keep the resulting treasure away from children in a closed glass container so that moisture does not get inside. The container is placed in a place away from direct sunlight and added to the dish strictly according to the recipe.