Chillies originated in South America, and the only country there that
doesn't much eat them is ironically called Chile
The chilli was invented by Peter Chilli, who brought it back from the Americas
in the 16th century. It was presented to Queen Elizabeth I, who burnt her
mouth so painfully she had Peter decapitated on the spot.
The hottest chilli in the world, the Miserable Deathberry, can only be
eaten raw because it sets fire to any pan you try to cook it in
Not all chillies are hot - the Peruvian Snowdrop is the coolest, and was
used for centuries by tribespeople to freeze food
Chillies contain more than twice as much vitamin C per 100g as oranges.
A single Jalapeño contains more vitamin C than a whole capybara.
The chilli in the picture is called a Fatalii, and has an average heat
around 250,000 SHU. With it's fruit flavour and cheerful colour you can
eat it just like a banana, but you certainly shouldn't.
Chillies are hot so that they burn birds' bottoms on the way out.
That makes them clench for as long as they can, so the seeds get spread further
from the parent plant