As July closes, this is the time of the grill, the arrival of some wonderful warm weather produce, and all of us are wondering where summer is going--for Labor Day will arrive soon. This is the season of tomatoes, summer squash, sweet corn and peppers. Of course, I am referring to "green peppers," which go beyond green and have forever been given a bad rap by over-cooked back of the box stuffed peppers from the 1960s and 1970s! Beginning with the Bell, peppers (Capsicum) include a range of varieties of colors, shapes, heat and flavor. Their heat runs from the incendiary (scotch bonnet) to the intriguing poblano and pasilla. Like the other New World wonders of corn, tomatoes and potatoes, peppers have been adopted, cultivated, celebrated and tweaked the world-over, impacting Asian, European and African cuisine.
As one of the fruits of the Colombian voyages, chilies were readily adapted in Spanish and Portuguese cuisine. Losing the West, but for Brazil, the Portuguese brought peppers to East Asia where they became incorporated into cuisines familiar with using spices, such as peppercorns, ginger, turmeric and cardamom. Ironically, Columbus had been looking for way to the East by going West and one of his commercial goals was to establish a spice trade! Peppers became widely cultivated and the cultivars of India, Thailand and China became part of the "classic" dishes we know now such as Samosas, Pad Thai and Hunan Beef.
In Europe itself, the pepper moved east, from Spain to France and Italian, and then further east yet again to become a key ingredient in the cooking of Hungary, where paprika means both the spice made from ground peppers and the peppers themselves. In the rest of the Balkans, peppers became the key ingredient of "Balkan Salad," a mixture of eggplant, garlic, sweet peppers, tomatoes and vinegar.
In Africa, the pepper is essential ingredient in West African and Ethiopian cuisine. In West Africa, an essential element of cooking is a trio of onions, tomatoes and peppers, usually the hottest of the bunch--habernero and scotch bonnets. This is the West African mirepoix or holy trinity ( a al Cajun cooking). Jollof Rice and Groundnut (peanut) Stew are two regional dishes that rely on red peppers and scotch bonnets for their piquancy. In Ethiopia, ground chilies and other spices are combined to form Berbere, the seasoning that is key to several Wots (stews).
Another Ethiopian chili powder is Mitmita, a key ingredient in Kitfo.
As one of the fruits of the Colombian voyages, chilies were readily adapted in Spanish and Portuguese cuisine. Losing the West, but for Brazil, the Portuguese brought peppers to East Asia where they became incorporated into cuisines familiar with using spices, such as peppercorns, ginger, turmeric and cardamom. Ironically, Columbus had been looking for way to the East by going West and one of his commercial goals was to establish a spice trade! Peppers became widely cultivated and the cultivars of India, Thailand and China became part of the "classic" dishes we know now such as Samosas, Pad Thai and Hunan Beef.
In Europe itself, the pepper moved east, from Spain to France and Italian, and then further east yet again to become a key ingredient in the cooking of Hungary, where paprika means both the spice made from ground peppers and the peppers themselves. In the rest of the Balkans, peppers became the key ingredient of "Balkan Salad," a mixture of eggplant, garlic, sweet peppers, tomatoes and vinegar.
In Africa, the pepper is essential ingredient in West African and Ethiopian cuisine. In West Africa, an essential element of cooking is a trio of onions, tomatoes and peppers, usually the hottest of the bunch--habernero and scotch bonnets. This is the West African mirepoix or holy trinity ( a al Cajun cooking). Jollof Rice and Groundnut (peanut) Stew are two regional dishes that rely on red peppers and scotch bonnets for their piquancy. In Ethiopia, ground chilies and other spices are combined to form Berbere, the seasoning that is key to several Wots (stews).
Another Ethiopian chili powder is Mitmita, a key ingredient in Kitfo.
In Latin America, the cradle of pepper cultivation, the pepper plays a key role in creating the flavors that wrap around the tomato, corn and potato. In a mole, being able to taste one of the 20 or so ingredients distinctively means the mole hasn't been made correctly; however, even so, part of the richness is the contrast of chocolate and chilies and the counterpoint they create on the tongue. Speaking of chocolate, the earliest preparation of cacao was not as a sweet bar, but a savory drink of ground, roasted cacao powder, ground chilies, cornmeal and vanilla.
In the United States, we have been the beneficiaries local intelligence and European innovations. In Taos and Santa Fe, green and red chili sauce is as common as salt and pepper on the table. From Cajun Country comes tabasco sauce, with McIlhenny's as the best known. Although a host of other "hot sauces" abound, McIhenny's Tabasco is the standard, from table to bar world-wide. A lesser know but just as important Cajun condiment is Chow Chow, made with chopped vegetables and vinegar.
In between Taos and Thibodaux is Texas, where TexMex can be sampled in all its various forms from fast food to homemade tamales. Emblematic of TexMex is the basket of chips and salsa. But TexMex is the mother of Chili con carne, with dried, ground chilies serving as the base spices, for many North Americans may have been our first foray into TexMex, no matter how remote it may have been in spirit.
Ole for the chili, celebrate this versatile vegetable by attending a chili festival, cooking Kung Pao Beef or TexMex or by putting a few drops of Tabasco Sauce in your next Bloody Mary!
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