CHILE FACTS:

"The most interesting sauces made with dried chiles are like musical chords in that they consist of bass, middle range, and high notes...The bass notes are created by the roasting or smoking process and these are the earthy, woodsy, or smoky tones. The middle notes are mainly fruit flavors, such as dried cherry or plum, particularly present in dried chiles such as the ancho and the cascabel. The high notes are derived from the heat, and from the citrus qualities of chiles."
Mark Miller, The Great Chili Book

Did you know?

• The word chile is a variation of chil from the Nahautl (language of the Aztecs).
• Chile peppers are probably the world's oldest condiment. They have been part of the human diet in the Americas since 7,500 BC or earlier.

The use of chile peppers goes well beyond flavoring food:

• In the spiritual traditions of Mesoamerica and South America a form of penance was to deny oneself salt and chile.
• Chiles were used by the Aztecs to discipline their disobedient children.
• Chile smoke is used as a fumigant.
• Most recently, ropes smeared with chile oil are used as a "hot wire" barrier in India to keep wild elephants from trampling human settlements and devouring crops; the method appears to be "doing the trick."
• The ingredient in chiles that make them hot is called capsaicin. When we ingest capsaicin, endorphins are released. Endorphins are natural substances in the brain which help relieve pain and cause a general feeling of well being. In other words, chiles make us feel good!
• Chiles are good for us: they contain high levels of vitamins A, C, and E.