Tabasco chili (Capsicum frutescens)

tabasco chili for meals

El Capsicum frutescens It is a shrub that belongs to the Solanaceae family which in turn is one of five species that are cultivated of the genus Capsicum, giving rise to the spiciest varieties of chili peppers that are known.

Origin of the Capsicum frutescens

tabasco chili pepper similar

This shrub as it is known could have its origin in Panama, from where possibly spread to the northern part of South America and the Caribbean. However, there are those who attribute its origin to Mexico.

It is also said to be endemic to Central and South America, in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Guyana and Suriname. It is also called tabasco chili and it is related to the serrano chili, likewise the following variants are known: chilipaya, ozuluamero, chilipayita and amashito.

Features

The size will depend on the quality of the soil in which the plant develops, however, in optimal soil and climate conditions, it reaches one meter in height, with warm climates being the most favorable.

It has a visibly denser foliage than others of the same species, for its part the leaves are light green, smooth, about 8 cm long and ovoid in shape. Even though it is able to survive six years, It is known for being rather biannual, the amount of fruits decreases over the years, however, they usually keep it for its ornamental value.

The flowers are individually arranged showing a smooth corolla whose color varies between greenish and white, lacking basal thickening, which makes it even easier to distinguish. Nails berries yellow or green at first and bright red when ripe, they represent the fruits of Capsicum frutescens, which measure between 2 and 5 cm in length. When the plant is at its peak of production, it can bear more than 120 fruits.

These are very easy to detach from the peduncle, which facilitates their dispersal, although the birds are the main responsible for spreading the seeds since capsaicin does not produce any effect on them.

What are the used parts of the Capsicum frutescens

What is consumed either to prepare food, to eat raw or for medicine, are the fruits in their ripe stage, which are very fresh and healthy. Are attributed nutritional and medicinal properties, the latter add a series of benefits:

  • Consumption increases the peripheral circulation and contributes to the decrease in blood pressure values.
  • Contains high contents of vitamin C, A, bioflavonoids which collaborate with cell growth and contribute to greater internal elasticity of blood vessels.
  • It effectively fights colds thanks to the fact that its components have an expectorant effect, stimulate perspiration, and help open the lungs and nasal passages.
  • Improves throat ailments temporarily.
  • Some studies from prestigious institutions attribute properties to it to treat cancer, specifically for its component "capsaicin”, Whose molecules adhere to proteins within the cancer cell's mitochondria, killing damaged cells and leaving healthy cells intact.

What is capsaicin?

red chillies or Capsicum frutescens

It is a substance that gives the chili a spicy taste, whose quantity varies according to the variety of chili pepper that is being talked about, it is characterized by affecting mainly mammals. The intensity and effect of capsaicin is measured in Scoville units. This substance has a large number of applications in the field of medicine.

El Capsicum frutescens is used for make some food products spicierIn case you are not used to consuming it or you do it by mistake, you can neutralize the burning in your mouth using sugar, fats or oils. If you have bread on hand you can also chew a little, since it helps to remove capsaicin mechanically or ingest milk since its casein content renders capsaicin useless.


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