Cayenne pepper

Name Variations

 * finger chili
 * ginnie pepper
 * bird pepper

About Cayenne pepper
A chile pepper that is often available as a green or red fresh pepper and also commonly purchased as a ground pepper to be used as a spice for seasoning. When harvested during the warmer months, it is green or turns to red as the cooler weather arrives. It has a very hot, biting flavor and a little goes a long way when seasoning dishes. This pepper may also be referred to as a finger pepper, finger chili, ginnie pepper, or bird pepper.

Cayenne pepper is a very hot red powder used to flavor dishes; its name comes from the city of Cayenne in French Guiana. The powder comes from the fruit of several cultivated varieties of the Capsicum baccatum and Capsicum frutescens species of the nightshade family (Solanaceae). The fruits are either dried and ground, or pulped and baked into cakes, which are then ground and sifted to make the powder. Cayenne is used in cooking spicy hot dishes. It is generally rated at 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Units. It is also used as an herbal supplement, and was mentioned by Nicholas Culpeper in his Complete Herbal. Also believed to have many beneficial medicinal qualities, especially for the pulmonary and digestive systems.

Cooking Cayenne pepper

 * Stir-frying Cayenne pepper
 * Steaming Cayenne pepper
 * Boiling Cayenne pepper
 * Pan-Frying Cayenne pepper
 * Roasting Cayenne pepper
 * Stewing Cayenne pepper

Cayenne pepper Related Recipes

 * Category Cayenne pepper