Chilies most likely orginiated from the Amazon region but today the main producer of chilies is
India. Chilies were introduced to India about 200 years ago. Used by Native
Americans as food and medicine in ancient times (more than 5000 years). The Spanish
introduced them to Europe in the 1400’s and from there the plant spread to the rest
of the world.
Chilies provide an excellent seasoning to any dish. Chili peppers are spicy because they
contain a compound called Capsaicin, which is entirely unique to the chile pepper. Hot
peppers vary tremendously in size, shape, color, and pungency or heat. Various
cuisines over the world have come to rely on certain varieties for their cuisine.
Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place, out of the light.
Here are a few suggestions how to use chilies in cooking:
Both whole and crushed chilies are often fried in ghee or oil with other spices and
added to cooked dishes as a distinctive seasoning or garnish.
· Add to Indian vegetables, curries
· Use when barbecuing
· Add to Mexican dishes such as salsa,
avocado dip, taco, and enchilada sauces
· Use in stir fry
· Relishes and chutneys
· Use in Thai curries and dishes
· Use in African cuisine especially
Harrissa
· Indonesian sambals are hot chile
sauces served with meals to adjust hotness level to one's personal taste
· Indian hot pickles and hot chutneys
are hot chile preparations served with meals to adjust hotness level to one's personal
taste
· Chile-based table condiments are also
used in Thai cuisine like nam pla prik (fish sauce with finely choppen green
chiles), prik dong (chopped red chiles in vinegar) and prik phom (red chile powder) which
also allow for personal adjustment of spiciness.
· In Chinese cuisine dried red chiles
are fried in hot oil until dark brown. This hot chili oil is then used to season
stir-fries and other dishes.
· Korean cuisine also embraced hot
chilies in kim chi and in hot bean pastes.
· Heat chillies pepper and cumin and
garnish dals/ lentils before serving for a gourmet look.
Our organic spices are pure, all natural spices and seasonings and fair trade spices. Our dedication to sustainable sourcing insures you get ethical clean spices.
Using our in-house kitchen we make all our blends in Minneapolis. We grind the spices that need to be ground, roast the ones that need to be roasted and keep some spices whole that are traditionally whole in ethnic blends. Did you know that cultures did not grind all their spices and most cultures will use both whole and ground spices in their blends?
This ensures that you get the best flavor, color, aroma, and taste.
We're committed to providing pure organic seasonings that taste great and promote a healthy planet. We're proud to offer the largest selection of organic ethnic spices and spice blends available.
