Saturday, October 13, 2007

Chili

Chili Fresh, dried, powdered, flaked, in sauces, sambals and pastes, chillies appear in many forms, to be used with discretion. It is well for the uninitiated to be aware that all chillies are not created equal. They range from mild to wild. As a general rule the smaller the chilli, the hotter it is.

Health Tips: The capsaicin of chillies does have a medical application, in the truest sense of the word. It is used in plasters to be applied externally in cases of severe muscle pain, acting in much the same way as the pleasantly 'hot' menthol creams. Internally, chillies and all members of the capsicum family are rich in vitamin C. They are reputed to help keep capillaries from hardening, thus lessening the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Other Languages:
China: la chiao, lup chew
India: mirch
Indonesia: lombok
Japan: togarashi
Korea: gochu
Malaysia: cili, lombok, cili padi (bird's eye)
Philippines: sili, siling haba (long), siling labuyo (bird's eye)
Sri Lanka: amu miris (fresh green chilli), rathu miris (red chilli), kochchi miris (bird's eye)Thailand: prik chee faa, prik kee noo suan (bird's eye)
Vietnam: ot