The chilli club

chillifence

Spelt differently in the US (chile and chili) and eaten the world over - adored by some, hated by others - chillies vary enormously on the heat scale and have dozens of uses. Indigenous to the Americas, they were unknown to the rest of the world until Christopher Columbus brought them back from his travels.

Treat all with care, use rubber gloves to prepare them and wash hands carefully. Do not rub eyes or lips if you have been handling chillies.

The main types are:

Anaheim - the earthy flavour is brought out by roasting.

Ancho - a large, wrinkled, brownish, heart-shaped chilli, fairly mild and the most common Mexican chilli. It is the dried form of the chile and is slightly sweet.

Birdseye, tiny red bullets of fire. Often sold dried in packets.

Cayenne is used in many dishes and a little goes a long way. Store the dried powder away from heat and light to preserve it longest.

Chipotle are smoked dried red Jalapenos.

Guero, a mild looking pale green finger shaped chilli with the kick of a mule.

Habanero - the hottest of the lot that is readily available. Also called Scotch Bonnets and way off the Richter-scale for heat. Small and round and red-yellow.

Jalapeno, a long green pepper of medium heat whose dried, smoked red form is chipotle.

Korean or Thai chilli - very hot and usually red, but sometimes green.

Mulatto, large and brownish black when dried, slightly sweet and relatively hot.

New Mexico Red - a large fat chilli with a medium to hot rating.

Pasilla - or chile negro. Fairly mild, this dried one is long and dark.

Poblano, often used for chilli rellenos, are best roasted until the skin blackens.

Serrano - small and very hot. Slightly acidic.

The best antidote to a chilli-burn? Milk or any product containing casein which is nature's antidote to the red-hot chemical capsaicin that causes the burn.

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