Chili peppers of the world: cultivars, species, and heat
6 hours ago
- #Chili Peppers
- #Evolution
- #Global Cuisine
- Chili peppers evolved with capsaicin as a dispersal mechanism to discourage mammals and attract birds for seed spreading.
- Humans domesticated wild chili peppers into five major species, each with distinct characteristics and regional distributions.
- Columbus introduced chili peppers to Europe, leading to their rapid global spread and integration into diverse cuisines worldwide.
- The illustrated field guide includes 176 hand-drawn peppers, tracing the history and diversity of chili peppers across species and cultivars.