Posted On Saturday, June 30, 2012 at 09:57:22 PM In 1868
Europeans first realised that chillies did not, in fact,
originate in India. To this day, many are stunned when they
encounter this spicy bit of trivia. Romancing the Chilli, by
Sunil Jalihal and Sunita Gogate, crowns the spice as a roving
ambassador that has brought the world closer. The chilli’s
genesis in Mexico is stunning, particularly the Mexican cave
settlements showing geo-archaeological remains of 10 varieties
of fresh and stored peppers. They were part of the human diet in
the Americas since 7,500 BC. Their cultivation in South and
Central America indicates their long history. Also it was the
African slaves’ preference for chillies that made the North
Amerian plantation owners grow them in abundance. The slave
trade, therefore, was instrumental in boosting the chilli trade.
The book effectively illustrates the chilli’s reception in Asia
and Africa. The chilli came to India with the Portuguese who
brought it to Goa from their South American con