Page 7 - Vol.37-No.9

CROP PROTECTION

7KH 9LWDPLQ & FRQWHQW RI FKLOOL SHS- are recognised as the hottest. The latter
per is exceptional, outstripping sweet are fairly small lantern-shaped red, or-
pepper by almost a factor of two, and ange and yellow peppers very popular
EHLQJ ÞYH WLPHV KLJKHU WKDQ VWUDZEHU- LQ WKH (QJOLVK VSHDNLQJ &DULEEHDQ LV-
ry and citrus and a massive ten times lands such as Trinidad where they are
higher than ripe tomato, all mainstream WUDGLWLRQDOO\ FDOOHG o&RQJRp SHSSHUV
fruits commonly associated with high
9LWDPLQ & FRQWHQW ,Q DOO SUREDELOLW\
*UHHQ ÀQJHU KRW FKLOOL SHSSHUV
(Picture Dr Terry Mabbett) WKHUH DUH RQO\ D IHZ o QLFKHp IUXLWV VXFK
as blackcurrant (Ribes) and West Indian
cherry (Malpighia glabra) that have a
condiments – pepper sauces, pickles KLJKHU 9LWDPLQ & FRQWHQW WKDQ FKLOOL
and chutneys. Each has its own distinc- peppers. Vitamin B complex and iron
tive colour, consistency and flavour contents are high and certainly within
depending on other products such as the top ten percent of all fruits and veg-
papaya, limes, mango and tamarind etables. Only in iron content (Fe) does ,QQHU SDUW RI WKH FKLOOL SHSSHU FORVH WR
used as bases, as well as a wide variety sweet pepper match chilli pepper. the seed is invariably the hottest part
of herbs and other spices. RI WKH IUXLW 3LFWXUH 'U 7HUU\ 0DEEHWW
$V FRQVXPHUV LQ WKH o:HVWp KDYH EH-
come more adventurous an increasing Famous Asian bird peppers include
niche market for fresh hot chilli peppers Pring-kee new [rat-turd pepper] of
and preserves has become established Thailand, so called because it’s small
on the supermarket shelves of Europe size (pods less than 2.5 cm long) and
DQG 1RUWK $PHULFD )UHVK KRW oÞQJHUp cone shape likens it to rat droppings
FKLOOLHV DQG oELUG SHSSHUVp UHG RUDQJH DQG WKH q6LOLQJ /DEX\Rr LQ WKH 3KLOLS-
and green) from countries like Thai- pines.
Ҋ%XOOHWҋ FKLOOL SHSSHU ZKLFK DUH YHU\
land and Bangladesh are now widely
KRW DQG VR FDOOHG EHFDXVH RI The smaller the pod the hotter the
available in Europe as are all sorts of WKH EXOOHW OLNH VKDSH pepper, because they contain (by
chilli-containing preserves. (Picture Dr Terry Mabbett)
weight) proportionately more seed and
Sweet peppers are largely grown seed membrane where the capsaicin is
and consumed as a salad vegetable &DSVDLFLQ ZKLFK XQGHUSLQV WKH FX- IRXQG &KLOH SHSSHU EHFRPHV VZHHWHU
and like tomato eaten raw. Nutritionists linary uses of hot chilli peppers, has and less hot as it ripens. Thus green
make much of their composition and a variety of other uses. It is an impor- Thai chilli paste is hotter than the Thai
especially that related to vitamins and tant resource for the pharmaceutical red variety.
PLQHUDOV &RQVXPHUV JHQHUDOO\ EX\ industry for formulation into medica-
and eat hot chilli to spice the food. In tions such as ointments used to counter
agricultural and culinary terms hot chil- irritations associated with bruises and
OL SHSSHUV DORQJ ZLWK RWKHU oWDVWH DQG sprains. Hot chilli peppers are used as
flavour’ commodities like cinnamon a natural insecticide to preserve the
DQG QXWPHJ DUH FODVVLÞHG DV VSLFHV integrity of stored products including
and, therefore, do not generally re- wheat grain and rice paddy against
ceive the same nutritional interest and insect pests such as weevils and bee-
scrutiny as do sweet peppers. But hot WOHV &KLOOL SHSSHUV SODFHG LQ WKH VWRUH
chilli peppers completely outstrip their together with the grain commodity,
‘White hot’ and ‘red hot’ chilli
PLOG DQG VZHHW oFRXVLQVp LQ YLWDPLQ DQG provide a natural and safe means of peppers? No, because these are long,
mineral content. SURWHFWLRQ &DSVDLFLQ ZKLFK VWLPXODWHV red and white sweet chilli peppers
WKH WDVWH EXGV RI WKH KXPDQ oSUHGDWRUp (Picture Dr Terry Mabbett)
is too much for considerably smaller
insects.
Drinking water or beer is not a good
But it is the birds that are most able way to cool down after eating chilli.
to cope with hot chilli peppers. Bird &DSVDLFLQ LV LQVROXEOH LQ ZDWHU ZKLFK
pepper pods are so small that they are VLPSO\ VSUHDGV WKH oÞUHp DURXQG WKH
eaten whole by birds, breaking down ERG\ 'ULQN D JODVV RI PLON &DVHLQ
in the gizzard and allowing the capsai- the protein found in milk, breaks the
1RW VR KRW DQG IUHTXHQWO\ SLFNOHG cin rich seeds to pass straight through. bond between the body’s pain recep-
whole, these long and pale-green o%LUG SHSSHUVp ZKHWKHU IURP C. annuum
coloured chilli peppers are popular or C. frutescens DQG WKH o+DEHUQHURp DQG tors and the capsaicin contained in hot
in Western Asia chilli pepper.
(Picture Dr Terry Mabbett) o6FRWFK %RQQHWp SHSSHUV RI C. chinensis
&LUFOH RQ HQTXLU\ FDUG
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Vol. 37 No. 9