Chili Peppers

Chili peppers are some of the spiciest foods on the planet. Even though most people call them vegetables, chili peppers are actually fruits. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, from tiny red bird peppers to large green poblanos. People around the world use chili peppers to add heat and flavor to their cooking, and they have been doing so for thousands of years.

A Long History

Chili peppers have been eaten by humans for over 9,000 years. They were first grown in Central and South America. When European explorers arrived in the Americas, they brought chili peppers back to Europe, and from there the spicy fruits spread to Asia, Africa, and the rest of the world. Today, chili peppers are one of the most widely used spices on Earth.

What Makes Peppers Hot

The burning feeling you get from eating a chili pepper comes from a chemical called capsaicin. Capsaicin tricks your mouth into thinking it is actually on fire, even though no real heat is involved. Interestingly, birds cannot taste capsaicin at all. They eat chili peppers without feeling any burn, which helps spread the seeds to new places. When you eat chili peppers, your brain releases happy chemicals called endorphins, which is why some people love spicy food so much.

The Hottest Peppers

Scientists measure how hot a pepper is using the Scoville scale. A regular bell pepper scores zero. A jalapeno is about 5,000 Scoville units. The Carolina Reaper is the world's hottest chili pepper, measuring over 1.5 million Scoville units. That is more than 300 times hotter than a jalapeno! A single ghost pepper contains enough heat to flavor 500 gallons of salsa.

Fun Facts

• Chili peppers are actually fruits, not vegetables.
• Birds cannot taste the spicy heat in chili peppers at all.
• Humans have been eating chili peppers for over 9,000 years.

Did You Know?

The Aztecs used chili peppers not only for cooking but also as a form of punishment. Misbehaving children were sometimes held over burning chili smoke as a warning!