2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14
Many dishes cannot be cooked perfectly without a condiment like red pepper. This spice is also known by another name - "chili". For many centuries, it was valued almost worth its weight in gold, and now it is available to anyone. Some cuisines of the world, such as Mexican and Indian, almost never do without it. This plant of the Solanaceae family was originally cultivated only in South America. Today, on an industrial scale, this pepper is grown in tropical countries, but some varieties are successfully cultivated in Russia. Many people grow this pepper at home on the windowsill. This plant with branched stems covered with elliptical leaves rarely exceeds a height of 60 cm. It blooms with white flowers (sometimes with purple spots). The fruit is a berry with a proboscis or globular pericarp.
Varieties
Many gardeners grow red capsicum on their plots. Few people know what this or that variety of this plant is called, but in the world there is a certain classification by which you can determine its variety.
Habanero is one of the hottest peppers. Its fruitsround and wrinkled. "Cayenne" - has small pods. "Bird's eye" - sharp-angled thin pepper. "Jalapeño" - has elongated fruits of medium size. "Serrano" - is distinguished by small peppercorns, resembling a bullet in shape. "Poblano" - has large fruits of medium spiciness. "Anaheim" - differs from other varieties in long, large fruits and a rather mild taste.
Composition
Hot red pepper has a very hot taste, which gives it the alkaloid capsaicin. Its content in different varieties of this culture varies greatly. So, for example, in cayenne pepper, its concentration is so high that the juice causes chemical burns to the skin and mucous membranes. Chili contains a lot of vitamin C. The pods contain carotene, vitamin B6, fatty and essential oils, sugars, minerals (iron, potassium, sulfur, phosphorus, magnesium). When using this product, it should be remembered that unripe fruits contain much less nutrients than fully ripe ones. Red capsicum cannot be called the lowest calorie product, since 100 g contains 40 kcal, but in practice, few people eat it in large quantities.
Useful properties
Red capsicum, in addition to its nutritional value, also has medicinal properties. Its use in medicine is due to the presence of burning capsaicin. Tinctures, extracts, ointments are made from it, which have a warming and locally irritating effect. Pepper has an immunostimulating property. Capsaicin favorsthe production of endorphins, which increases stress resistance and relieves fatigue. This substance is able to absorb a substance such as P-neuropeptide, which conducts pain impulses along the nerve endings. Thanks to this, preparations made from red capsicum have an analgesic effect. These drugs are used for diseases of the musculoskeletal system, muscle and joint pain. They have an expectorant and antipyretic effect in case of colds. Pepper stimulates the digestive tract, increases appetite, speeds up metabolism. It also has anthelmintic properties.
Use in cosmetology
Recently, the use of red capsicum for cosmetic procedures has become very popular. Its tinctures and extracts are used to improve skin blood supply, stimulate hair growth and strengthen nails. The warming and irritating properties of this pepper are used to combat cellulite. Many cosmetic companies produce effective creams containing extracts from the fruits of this plant.
Contraindications
Red capsicum is not recommended for people with stomach ulcers or gastritis, as it often exacerbates these diseases. It is also not recommended to use this product (especially in large quantities) for those who have high blood pressure. It often happens that hot red pepper leads to a burn of the mucous membrane of the esophagus. In this case, it is recommended to use milk,boiled potatoes or rice without spices.
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