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I have as a Goan always been fascinated by the chilli (sometimes referred to as chilli pepper). What a pleasant sight and colour it has. It has become an essential part of our diet but I have seen its reproductions used as jewelry. Before the advent of the Portuguese, our diet was mild and the only ingredient that gave our food a zest was pepper. Without the chilli in our ‘ Voodoo' ceremony or Disht we would have never banished the evil eye. The chilli is finally thrust into the fire and the resulting explosion indicates its efficacity. Walk into a Goan field in the dry months, browse around in the garden of any Goan household and you will find a few ‘innocent' chilli plants, some grown expressly to satisfy the needs of the house owner and others the result of accidents that have sprouted from the droppings of birds that repose in the branches around. The colourful varieties decorate the interior of our houses. I was once attacked for stating that the chilli was like many of our present day plants, the result of the discovery of the Americas. One ought to remember that the ‘punishment' dealt to all who have tasted the chilli as Moctezuma's revenge. Moctezuma was the Aztec ruler of Mexico when it was known as Tenochtitlan now known as Mexico City. My adversary was a Goan as usual who informed me that chillies came from Kashmir as we, in India, had Kashmiri chillies and my response was that the Irish also had Irish Potatoes. Little knowledge is a dangerous thing I felt, and I moved on in life. Today, I learn that the chilli sauce has overtaken tomato sauce on the tables of America. Before this stage, Asians had slowly mixed chilli and tomato to prepare a sauce sold as Hot Tomato Sauce. In Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia and many Pacific Rim countries a hot tomato sauce is bottled and sold. The strength of the chilli is dependant on the latitude (and sunshine) and I have noticed that the Chinese for example and even the Indians use more chilli depending on how close they live to the equator. I once lived with a family from Karnataka who used green chilli in their chapatis and I never suffered from constipation. I will assume with certainty that the Chinese from the far north do not know what chilli is as the climate will not be conducive to its growth and hence its consumption. Chillies are found in three forms, green, red and dried and all three forms can be conserved in the form of a pickle or a sauce. Hot dried chillies are high in vitamins A and C. Fresh chillies however contain more of these nutrients. I have known a Goan in the UK who ate chillies as an aphrodisiac. Every chilli should be marked with the words ‘Handle with Care'. Capsicum, the heating agent found in the essential oil of hot peppers, is extremely painful when it comes into contact with the eyes and those sensitive parts of the body. It is very irritating and one wrongly rushes to find solace in water which is not the solution. It can attack the skin of the hands. The best advice is to wear gloves when handling chillies. Use oil for the hands and use bread when the mouth burns. Without this severe result of the chilli, what would frighten a Goan boy who calls others Dukkor? Goan mothers have been known to rub the mouth of kids using expletives by threatening them with a forcible taste of chilli. Imagine our choricos or sausages without the use of chillies? We Goans like most Indians have been hooked on the long, thin green chilli always seen in a vegetable stall. But West Indians would never touch them as their favourite chilli is the Scotch Bonnet, a roundish and shriveled variety that is full of flavour and taste. One sees it in green, yellow or flaming red varieties. The Mexicans are fond of the Jalapeno and the Chipotle which is the same except that they are mature red Jalapenos and very hot. They can be bought in cans. Other varieties are the Ancho which is a reincarnation of the Poblano chill. The colour ranges from oxblood to almost black. It is about 4 inches long and three inches wide. It has a full chocolate like flavour and is slightly hot. America's favourite is the Anaheim which comes in different varieties including New Mexican and Califonia. This long slender and lobed chilli is usually eaten fresh and is found dried in ristras which are decorative strands of dried chillies. They are mild to moderately hot. I recently bought a dried variety marked Chilli Mulato. One can also pickle the chilli. I once visited a market in Lisbon where I saw huge quantities of red fresh chillies being offloaded and on enquiring, I was told that they were used to make a chilli sauce called piri-piri and my mind was drawn to the word Pilli Pilli we used in Swahili in Africa. It is no surprise that the Portuguese are accustomed to hot food from their colonial experiences. These small and tiny peppers are a delicacy of parrots and other birds who like cats and dogs know what to eat to avoid constipation. I am told that Cafreal (kaffir is the Arabic word for an infidel from which we get the word Khapri) is an African recipe and its main ingredient is chilli and a favourite on the menu of Goan restaurants. I brought two bottles of Palm vinegar from Goa and in one I added about 50 of these peppers and the vinegar is mildly hot. Pequin are tiny chillies the size of mouse droppings and considered the hottest chillies. Then there is the Cascabel which are shaped like little tomatoes in their fresh state and turn when dried into fat little cones or bullets with a brownish-red translucent skin. The word means jingle bells in Spanish. An appropriate name for the sound they make when dry. Alarm-bell hot. Then there are the chipotle which are Jalapeno chillies and brownish-red in colour. They have a unique smokey flavour and are very hot. I have heard the peppers which are referred to as sweet peppers also referred to as bell peppers. One general rule to follow is the size of chillies - the smaller they are the more 'explosive' like little waifs in small packets. I understand that a town in New Mexico considers itself the chilli capital of the world where they specialize in growing chillies that are half a meter long. Tabasco is a state in Mexico but the sauce is made in the US with other ingredients. How to use them: Dried chillies can be powdered in a mortar and pestle or in a food processor and can be stored in a refrigerator for longer life. To reconstitute roast whole dried chil;lies in the oven or a dry frying pan and soak in hot water for 30 minutes. I am fond of the Kashmiri chilli and have them dried and powdered in Goa which I use for cooking as they add a very red colour to the food and are not very hot. For Goan sausages, I would recommend the use of chillies grown in Aldona as they are known to be ideal for sausages. One could mix chilli powders to suit the taste. WARNING: The author does not accept liability for any adverse effects from this condiment. Any aggressive action will be met with a doze of pepper spray a favourite weapon of policemen to control mobs of unruly citizens. ---------------------------------------------------------- What's On In Goa: * Oct 16-27: Vipasana meditation, Alto Porvorim * Oct 24-26: Intl conf on trends in hospital care, Cidade de Goa * Oct 25: Bookings start for CellOne, BSNL's cellular service in Goa * Oct 25-27: International conference of Drug Info Assn, Mariott * Oct 26: 100 Years of the Nobel Prize, lecture, Science Centre, 11 am * Oct 26-Oct 30: Painting exhibition, Kala Academy art gallery. * Oct 28: Panjim Passport Office shifts to new EDC Complex premises. * Oct 29-31: Sale of polytechnic trainees garments, Govt Polytech, Panjim * Oct 29-31: Films on architect Le Corbusier, Goa Col. of Architecture * Nov 1-17: Swimming classes for children, others. SAG pool, Fatorda * Nov 1: Antonio Costa's painting exhibition, Fundacao Oriente 6.30pm * Nov 4: Book release, Fr NJ Mascarenhas' on Dr Gama Pinto, Saligao ----------------------------------------------------------