Hot peppers are true Native Americans with a rich history. While the hottest varieties among them sometimes fail to thrive in our short summer season, others like Hungarian Hot Wax are dependable producers even in challenging conditions. (ANN BENNETT PHOTO)
Hot peppers are true Native Americans with a rich history. While the hottest varieties among them sometimes fail to thrive in our short summer season, others like Hungarian Hot Wax are dependable producers even in challenging conditions. (ANN BENNETT PHOTO)
Buckwheat in full bloom, alive with pollinators. (ANN BENNETT PHOTO)
Hot peppers, in their varied shaped and sizes, are true Native Americans with a rich history. Like corn, all peppers, scorching chiles to sweet bells —originated in Central and South America. Archeological evidence in Mexico suggests that native peoples gathered wild chiles as far back as 7,000 BC; by 2,500 BC they were cultivating chile peppers.
It is Christopher Columbus, during his first visit to the Caribbean, who is credited with giving the spicy vegetable its name. Diego Alvarez Chanca, a physician on Columbus' second voyage to the West Indies in 1493, brought the first chiles back to Spain. Their use spread across the globe as other early explorers returned home with this culinary curiosity, and today they provide the heat to cuisine around the world, be it Thai, Korean, Chinese or Mexican.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.