Early Domestication of Chile Peppers Confirmed By Dave DeWitt Scientists, including researcher Linda Perry, writing in the journal Science (February 16, 2007), have proven that chile peppers were domesticated in South America at least by 6,000 years ago. Although very few prehistoric pods and pollen have been found in archeological sites, a new technique has been developed …
Why Chiles Conquered America
Why ChilesConqueredAmerica by Dave DeWitt I am constantly asked to explain the exponential growth of interest in chile peppers and the boom in fiery foods products in the U.S. over the past two decades. How did a meat and potatoes America become enamored of hot sauces, salsas, spicy snack food, chili con carne, and hundreds and hundreds of other …
Why Cooks Spice Up Their Foods
Why Cooks Spice Up Their Foods by Dave DeWitt There are a number of explanations for why we have added spices such as chile peppers to our foods over the tens or hundreds of thousands of years that we have been cooking. They are: Spices make foods taste better. The “eat-to-sweat hypothesis”–eating spicy foods makes us cool down during hot …
The Chile Way to Burn Fat and Boost Metabolism
by Dave DeWitt, Melissa T. Stock, and Kellye Hunter The following excerpt is from the book The Healing Powers of Peppers, released in May 1998 by Three Rivers Press, New York, NY (available from online used book stores). Illustration by Harald Zoschke Exercise, diet, and deprivation–the dreaded regimen of many a New Year’s resolution. But keep in mind, as you …
The Question of Chile Addiction
by Kellye Hunter and Dave DeWitt The power of chiles is enough to inspire mythology and folk tales, so it is not surprising that some people believe in its ability to control our minds–or at least our bodies. While it is true that many chile lovers exhibit distinctly druggie habits–we’ve seen people who always travel with a stash of hot …