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Capsicum fruits can be eaten raw or cooked. Those used in cooking are generally varieties of the
C. annuum and
C. frutescens species, though a few others are used, as well. They are suitable for stuffing with fillings such as cheese, meat, or rice. They are frequently used both chopped and raw in salads, or cooked in stir-fries or other mixed dishes. They can be sliced into strips and fried, roasted whole or in pieces, or chopped and incorporated into salsas or other sauces, of which they are often a main ingredient. They can be preserved in the form of a
jam, or by drying, pickling, or freezing. Dried Capsicum may be reconstituted whole, or processed into flakes or powders. Pickled or marinated Capsicum are frequently added to sandwiches or salads. Frozen Capsicum are used in stews, soups, and salsas. Extracts can be made and incorporated into hot sauces. The Spanish
conquistadores soon became aware of their culinary properties, and brought them back to Europe, together with cocoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tobacco, maize, beans, and turkeys. They also brought it to the Spanish Philippines colonies, whence it spread to Asia. The Portuguese brought them to their African and Asiatic possessions such as India. All varieties were appreciated but the hot ones were particularly appreciated, because they could enliven an otherwise monotonous diet during times of dietary restriction, such as during religious observances. Spanish cuisine soon benefited from the discovery of chiles in the New World, and it would become very difficult to untangle Spanish cooking from chiles. Ground chiles, or paprika, hot or otherwise, are a key ingredient in
chorizo, which is then called picante (if hot chile is added) or dulce (if otherwise). Paprika is an important ingredient in rice dishes, and plays a definitive role in squid Galician style (
polbo á feira). Chopped chiles are used in fish or lamb dishes such as
ajoarriero or
chilindrón.
Pisto is a vegetarian stew with chilies and zucchini as main ingredients. They can also be added, finely chopped, to
gazpacho as a garnish. In some regions, bacon is salted and dusted in paprika for preservation. Cheese can also be rubbed with paprika to lend it flavor and colour. Dried round chiles called
ñoras are used for
arroz a banda. After being introduced by the Portuguese, chile peppers saw widespread adoption throughout South, Southeast, and East Asia, especially in India, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Korea. Several new
cultivars were developed in these countries, and their use in combination with (or as a substitute for) existing 'hot' culinary spices such as
black pepper and
Sichuan pepper spread rapidly, giving rise to the modern forms a number of staple dishes such as
Channa masala,
Tom yum,
Laziji, and
Kimchi. This in turn influenced
Anglo-Indian and
American Chinese cuisine, most notably with the development of British and American forms of
curry powder (based on Indian spice preparations such as
garam masala), and dishes such as
General Tso's chicken and
chicken tikka masala. According to
Richard Pankhurst,
C. frutescens (known as
barbaré) was so important to the
national cuisine of Ethiopia, at least as early as the 19th century, "that it was cultivated extensively in the warmer areas wherever the soil was suitable." Although it was grown in every province,
barbaré was especially extensive in
Yejju, "which supplied much of
Showa, as well as other neighbouring provinces." He mentions the upper
Golima River valley as being almost entirely devoted to the cultivation of this plant, where it was harvested year-round. In 2005, a poll of 2,000 people revealed the capsicum to be Britain's fourth-favourite culinary vegetable. In Hungary, sweet yellow capsicum – along with tomatoes – is the main ingredient of
lecsó. In Bulgaria, South Serbia, and North Macedonia, capsicum are very popular, too. They can be eaten in salads, like
shopska salata; fried and then covered with a dip of tomato paste, onions, garlic, and parsley; or stuffed with a variety of products, such as minced meat and rice, beans, or cottage cheese and eggs. Capsicum are the main ingredient in the traditional tomato and capsicum dip
lyutenitsa and
ajvar. They are in the base of different kinds of pickled vegetables dishes,
turshiya. Capsicum is also used widely in
Italian cuisine, and the hot species are used all around the southern part of Italy as a common spice (sometimes served with
olive oil). Capsicums are used in many dishes; they can be cooked by themselves in a variety of ways (roasted, fried, deep-fried) and are a fundamental ingredient for some
delicatessen specialities, such as
nduja. Capsicums are also used extensively in Sri Lanka cuisine as side dishes. The
Maya and
Aztec people of
Mesoamerica used
Capsicum fruit in cocoa drinks as a flavouring. In New Mexico, there is a
Capsicum annuum cultivar group called the
New Mexico chile which is a mainstay of the state's
New Mexican cuisine.
GRAS Only
Capsicum frutescens L. and
Capsicum annuum L. are
Generally recognized as safe. == Synonyms and common names ==