Mirchi, Mensinkai, Milagai, Mulaku, Lonka, Chili

Byadgi

Spice no. 10

India is synonymous with Chili, was it always like this? Was our food always this spicy? I think credit to a lot of articles in the media and television shows we have got to know that Chili came to India only less than 500 yrs ago.

So colonization and spice trade completely got India addicted to Chilies so much so replacing the Miri and Pippli. Our heat giving Black pepper and Long pepper. How incredible is this replacement. The Portuguese are credited to bringing chilies to Goa and the cultivation and propagation has been so rapid that today India grows 25 types of Mirchi. If that is impressive you would guess how this easy growing crop has covered the entire world and there exists 4000 varieties of chilies today. 

Chili heat is due to Capsaicin a chemical that send the signal of pain to the brain it therefore is different from Piperine in Black pepper. The measure of the strength of Capsaicin in Chili is measured by dilution in sugar solution and the unit of measure is Scovilles or Scoville Heat Units. The higher the dilution higher the strength. India's Naga chilies from the North boasts the honor of being one of the hottest chilies in the world. There are competitions held in the North East to celebrate Naga chilis or Bhut Jhalokia as it is known locally. Here the participants rub the chilies on their eyes! Talk of subjecting oneself to torture.

Chili though became popular Southwards from Goa it travelled to the North of India only 250 years after with the Maratha Empire. No wonder the Northern food is milder than Southern food when it comes to chilies.

Chili gives color, heat and has a lot of benefits for blood circulation and as much as it gives pain it counters pain in the body hence its use as an analgesic. Infact in rural communities applying chili powder on bruises is a common first aid. 

The famous Chilies however are from Guntur, Byadgi, Kashmiri. Andhra Pradesh produces 75% of India's chilies, so the reputation of the hottest food in the state.

Kolis use 2-3 types of chilies in their masala and here you see the Byadgi and Kashmiri.

Kashmiri