Chileheads worldwide trek to the National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show each year for the latest and greatest developments in the worlds of spice, fire, and smoke. Here’s what’s new at the 27th annual show, this March 6-8 at the Sandia Resort and Casino
Happy National Hot Sauce Day!
I don’t know how you’re celebrating National Hot Sauce Day, but I’m working on a blueberry nasharab sauce for some chicken. I’ll post the results and review tomorrow. Meanwhile, I thought I’d share some history factoids from the early days of hot and spicy sauce for your amusement.
Ornamentally Oriented
Most home gardeners, myself included, are so focused the culinary aspect of chile peppers that we forget about their ornamental qualities and how the mostly upright pods change colors over the entire summer and into the early fall.
The Compost Pile Volunteers
From the dirt pile comes the HEAT!
Just the FAQs: Chile Pepper Tips from Dave
Over the years our readers have asked us nearly 700 questions on every conceivable aspect of chile peppers. Someone, somewhere at the SuperSite had the brilliant idea to stick all that knowledge into FAQs in a searchable database. The questions were answered by the SuperSite staff, under the direction of publisher Dave DeWitt. If you have any of your own chile pepper questions, message it to us. Here’s a snapshot of just some of the info you’ll find at the SuperSite.
Chiles Reach Africa: An Excerpt from Dave DeWitt’s New Food History Book, Precious Cargo: How Foods from the Americas Changed the World
The most likely scenario for the introduction and spread of chile peppers into Africa south of the Sahara is as follows. Varieties of Capsicum annuum and chinense were introduced into all West and East African Portuguese ports during the 40 years between 1493 and 1533, with the introduction into West Africa logically preceding that of East Africa. The chiles were first grown in small garden plots in coastal towns by the Portuguese settlers and later by the Africans.
Dave’s New Year’s Food Resolutions
All my life I’ve had this attitude that if everyone else is doing it, I’m not. This mostly relates to insubstantial things, which is why I’ve never smoked a cigarette, joined a fraternity, church, or bridge club, and I refuse to discuss religion or politics in most situations. About food, I’m the same way, so my preface here will help …
