What is chilli?

Chilli belongs to the nightshade family and is therefore botanically a type of pepper – which is why it also counts as a vegetable, to be precise: as a fruit vegetable. The chilli comes from the fertilised chilli flower and its chilli seeds. Chilli plants originated in Central and South America. Today, this popular and very diverse spice, which is sold in countless chilli varieties, colours, sizes and heat levels, is cultivated all over the world.

Whereas in the past, chilli usually simply stood for ‘hot spice’, the different varieties of chilli have become firmly established in Mexican cuisine, for example. The use of different chillies has a long tradition here. The Mexican housewife has a corresponding assortment and knows exactly which varieties give the dishes the special flavour and the right heat.

This ‘chilli culture’ is also finding more and more followers in Germany and it is exciting to get to grips with the various chilli specialities and experiment with them in the kitchen!