DESCRIPTION

All chillies are native to Latin America, particularly Mexico, and the West Indies, though they are now found around the world in tropical and temperate climate zones. Their history dates back to 7000 BC, and they were probably first cultivated in Latin America not long after that. But they were unknown beyond their native regions until Columbus took chiles back to Spain—and they then traveled throughout Europe and into Asia. Columbus thought chiles were related to Piper nigrum, the climbing vine that is the source of pepper, and because of that confusion, chiles are often referred to as peppers. The name chile comes from the Nahuatl word chilli—and the spelling still varies today, depending on
the country, with chilli being another form. Mexico remains a major producer, along with India, China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan.