Fips Chile Peppers
Inventory, 10 lbs : 0
Description/Taste
Growing on a small compact plant, colorful clusters of fips chilies are produced on short stems that hold the chilies above the foliage. Changing color as they mature, these eye-catchers range from green to yellow to orange to red, presenting an attractive kaleidoscope of color. Extremely hot, this searing chile pepper does not have great flavor. Due to its lack of taste, the plants are primarily grown as ornamental potted plants in gardens. Scoville units: 8-9 (30,000-100,000)
Seasons/Availability
During the Christmas season, festive fips chilies and potted plants are available for colorful holiday decoration and special gifts.
Current Facts
Many types of hot chiles exist, varying in size and shape, as well as color and intensity of flavor. Usually green before ripening and turning red, orange, yellow, purple, or brown and black, chiles are used in their unripe and ripe states. Ranging from mildly hot to ferocious, the Scoville rating scale from 1 to 10 is used to measure their heat, 10 being the hottest. The heat of chiles is in the vein or membrane, not in the seeds. If a recipe calls for a seeded chile, remove the membrane as well. If a hotter flavor is desired than what the available chile provides, leave the seeds and membrane intact. A mortar and pestle is a valuable kitchen aid when using fresh or dried chiles. This convenient tool enables the chile to be pounded into the correct consistency. A food processor and a blender are perfect for blending chiles in soups and sauces and for making purees. A spice or coffee grinder may be used to grind dried chiles into powdered form.
Nutritional Value
Fips chiles are rarely eaten because of their intense scorching heat. Because of their heat, capsicums do increase metabolic rate. This thermic effect requires six grams of ingested chile to burn off an average of 45 calories in three hours.
Applications
This searing hot chile pepper is not usually used in the culinary world but if an extremely hot variety of pepper is desired, this sizzling chile can be added to stir-fries and salsas. Display as a colorful decoration in gardens or use as a table centerpiece. Note: Wash hands with soapy water after handling to prevent irritation to eyes and skin. Rubber gloves work best. Some advocate using oil to treat a "chile burn" and milk is definitely preferred over water to drink. Experts say to first clean burning fingers with rubbing alcohol then dip them in milk for soothing relief.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Introduced to the New World by Christopher Columbus, fips chiles were enjoyed by American Indians. Monks grew this lovely pepper plant as decoration in their gardens. When the Turks invaded the Balkans, chiles were reintroduced as a spice. Tropical countries use chiles the same as bell peppers are used in the Mediterranean and in Europe. Chile bean pastes are extensively used in Malaysia and China. Fresh pods are carved into articulate food decorations in Malaysia and Indonesia, and are finely sliced or shredded to be used as a garnish throughout Asia.
Geography/History
Related to the cayenne and Tabasco chilies, the fips chile pepper is an ornamental plant grown primarily in New Mexico and Louisiana. Nearly one hundred types of chilies are loved and used in Mexico. Cultivated eight to ten thousand years ago, chilies were, at first, tiny wild berries grown in the Amazon jungle. The tiny seeds of these first berries have produced more than one hundred-fifty varieties. Chiles grew in Mexico and neighboring countries, and in the Caribbean islands. Spreading like wildfire, January 1, 1493, was documented as Capsicum discovery day on Espanola by Columbus. Today the Dominican Republic is the former Espanola.