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Mexican Lifestyles Food & Dining Mexico's Multi-faceted Chile
Mexican Lifestyles Food & Dining Mexico's Multi-faceted Chile | Mexico's Multi-faceted Chile |
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| Written by GARY FOX | |
| Saturday, 16 February 2008 | |
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Brave the famous Mexican extra-spicy, knock-your-head-off, fetch-me-a-glass-of-water food. It's one of the first things a visitor to Mexico probably does – apart from struggle with the lingo and get lost in a maze of streets with strange names.
Some foolish souls feel themselves immune to the power of the Mexican chile. Used to the mouth-burning experience of an Indian curry, or perhaps accustomed to adding a dash of Tabasco sauce to a Bloody Mary, such diners often believe the humble chile can offer no taste sensation they haven't tried a hundred times before. They're flamingly wrong, of course. No amount of "hot food" experience could really prepare even the most asbestos of mouths for that first nibble of jalapeño or that initiation into the art of dining on some truly fierce chiles rellenos. If chiles are a unique part of the kingdom of the Americas, then surely Mexico is their king, tyrannical and uncompromising. Some 90 percent of chiles consumed worldwide derive from the Mexican strain of the versatile vegetable that goes by the Latin name capsicum annum. The other ten percent belong to either the genus capsicum chinense or capsicum frutescens and come from Central and South America, principally Peru. So, the spice in that aloo palak curry is likely to be Mexican in origin, or be part of the extended family of chiles that includes the popular chile poblano and the deadly chile piquin. So too is the paprika you liberally sprinkle into your favorite spicy soup dish. Ordinarily associated with Hungarian cuisine, paprika (from the Hungarian piperka, itself from the Latin, piper, which means black pepper) is none other than a member of the capsicum annum family on an East European sabbatical. The derivation of the world capsicum (a word interchangeable in English with pepper to mean green/red/orange/yellow vegetable so abundant in summer salads) is believed to be Greek – etymologists rarely agree about such things. The Greek verb, kapto, means "I bite." "I wince" might be a more apt description. The family of capsicum annum is something of an illustrious clan. The potato and deadly nightshade are distinguished members. The principal difference between the blander vegetables and the potent pods of chewable fire known as chiles is a chemical compound called capsaicin. It is this substance, found in the greatest concentration in the seeds and the connecting membrane (or placenta), that gives chiles their power. So, when you're draining the water out of the nearest flower vase because your mouth is an inferno, you'll at least be able to amuse your no-doubt already amused friends by quoting the culprit's scientific name. And if you thought these insignificant little vegetables were only used to spice up that tasteless meal, think again. In a moment of creativity unrivaled in chile history, the Incas in Peru came up with an ingenious plan to protect themselves from marauding tribes bent on stealing their hordes of gold, silver and, presumably, chiles. The Incas burned chiles and liquid capsicum, thereby creating a repellent smog that had the battle-winning effect of driving their foes back, coughing and sputtering. Chemical warfare had begun. The tradition didn't die out with the Incas, however. The technique has now been refined using modern technology. Many a wily postman arms himself with a can of liquid capsicum to beat trouser-nipping mongrels and mail snatching muggers. And as torturous as eating chile dishes may seem, it's nothing compared with the ancient antics of the Mayans in the south of Mexico. Women caught looking at men for longer than was deemed decent had a dab of the hot stuff rubbed into their eyes. Beyond their utility as the perfect defense in wartime and tough disciplinary agent, chiles can be wonderful for the health. A generous serving of chile will open up a stuffed-up nose faster than you can say "Anybo'y hab a Kleenek?" If a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, as Mary Poppins once chirped, then a spoonful of chile definitely makes the sinuses unblock. Even better is the news that chile is believed to be an excellent source of vitamins A and C. Though some people swear by onions and garlic to keep them cold-free, capsicum-rich foods are also a great way of driving off the sniffles. Chiles are also rich in potassium and there is a tradition among some Mexicans to use them as diuretics and laxatives as well as applying them to dry up weeping wounds and to treat infected sores. Rheumatism, arthritis and general muscle ache can also be eased by applying chiles in the form of poultices and plasters. Another folk remedy calls for sprinkling chile powder in shoes, socks and mittens. Chiles, so the belief goes, keep away the chills. Swilling the stuff around in your mouth, according to some veteran capsicum garglers, is also a great way to cure that annoying sore throat. What's more, there is a school of thought that holds that large doses of chile, taken either in capsule form or as tea, can be beneficial in treating alcoholic gastritis and ulcers. That said, be warned that there are plenty of people who would line up to advise you that chiles are a confirmed stomach irritant. Some foreigners find it hard to believe that Mexican diners can really enjoy spicy food that burns the mouth and sets the innards ablaze. Researchers at several universities may well have discovered the answer: Chiles could be addictive. Eating chiles, according to some research, causes the brain to release endorphins – something that also happens after morphine has been administered. With such a colorful history and a myriad of uses, it's small wonder that people are so resourceful, imaginative and downright creative in their use of this miraculous vegetable during the 51 weekends when the Mexican Chili Cookoff isn't taking place in Ajijic. Who would have though such a tiny thing like a chile could cause so much excitement? CHILE OR CHILI There is considerable zeal in the discussion whether the spice should be called chile, chili or chilli in English. The form chilli is probably closest to the Nahuatl original, and it is the preferred form among historically minded Asians and in Australia. The word chili has come to mean almost exclusively the Tex-Mex food chili con carne in the United States, but is used for the spice in British English. The variant chilly (also the adverb of chill) has become obsolete; it bears connotations to the British colonial era and sometimes appears in brand names of products that go back to the first half of the 20th century. Chile is the name of the spice in contemporary Mexican Spanish, and it is also quite popular in the United States. To make things worse, chiles are often referred to as peppers in English, which is of course a never-ending source of culinarily fatal misunderstandings. |
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