Cayenne
📷 Photo: Ashoka Jegroo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The cayenne is a Capsicum annuum chili best known in dried, powdered form. The plant traces to South America, in the region of what is now French Guiana, and long-cultivated relatives spread widely after Columbus carried New World chilies across the globe. Fresh pods are long, slim, and tapering, often curved and rippled, ripening to a bright red; they typically rate about 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units. Cayenne's flavor is comparatively neutral, a clean peppery warmth without strong fruit or smoke, which is exactly why it is so useful as a general-purpose heat source. Ground cayenne seasons everything from Cajun and Creole dishes to curries, sauces, rubs, and eggs, and it is a backbone spice in countless hot sauces. Note that commercial cayenne powder is sometimes a blend of red chilies rather than a single variety.
The cayenne is a Capsicum annuum chili best known in dried, powdered form. The plant traces to South America, in the region of what is now French Guiana, and long-cultivated relatives spread widely after Columbus carried New World chilies across the globe. Fresh pods are long, slim, and tapering, often curved and rippled, ripening to a bright red; they typically rate about 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units. Cayenne's flavor is comparatively neutral, a clean peppery warmth without strong fruit or smoke, which is exactly why it is so useful as a general-purpose heat source. Ground cayenne seasons everything from Cajun and Creole dishes to curries, sauces, rubs, and eggs, and it is a backbone spice in countless hot sauces. Note that commercial cayenne powder is sometimes a blend of red chilies rather than a single variety.
