# Cayenne peppers?



## nicklord1 (May 4, 2008)

Hi all is cayenne peppers a generic  term for  red chillis 

Thank you


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## expatgirl (May 4, 2008)

no, Nick, I don't think that cayenne and red chiles are not the same but you can sub them for a lot of recipes---they may be in the same genus of peppers---that I don't know but both have a kick and that's what most people go for when they use them


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## Uncle Bob (May 4, 2008)

Cayenne is just one variety of around 200 varieties of Chiles...So like Miss Expatgirl said...N0 Cayenne is not a generic term for all chilies (peppers)


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## JPolito830 (May 5, 2008)

The fruits are generally dried and ground, or pulped and baked into cakes, which are then ground and sifted to make the powder, *Cayenne pepper*.  There are a ton of medicinal purposes as well.


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## waaza (Aug 3, 2008)

nicklord1 said:


> Hi all is cayenne peppers a generic  term for  red chillis
> 
> Thank you



cayenne pepper and chilli pepper are the same thing, except when the chilli pepper refers to chile con carne, when it contains other things such as salt, cumin and herbs.

Cayenne is a port in French Guiana, South America, from where chilli pepper was exported to Europe, Africa, India and China/Japan. So any variety of chilli pepper could be called cayenne, although there is a specific variety called 'cayenne', which has a long history, and may well have been one of the three original chillies taken to India to cultivate.

Some manufactures of chilli powder will blend various kinds of chilli to produce a more consistant (heat and colour) product.

The best way to deal with all this is buy whole dried chilli peppers of known origin (and variety) and grind them yourself. This way you may be able to detect subtle differences, but is anything subtle with chillies?


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## GB (Aug 3, 2008)

Cayenne pepper is not a generic term. It is a specific type of pepper just as jalapeno, habanero, and Anaheim are all types of specific peppers.


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## waaza (Aug 3, 2008)

GB said:


> Cayenne pepper is not a generic term. It is a specific type of pepper just as jalapeno, habanero, and Anaheim are all types of specific peppers.



cayenne pepper is both a generic term and a specific variety (cultivar). Ground cayenne pepper, bought in a shop is a ground mix of any chilli varieties. 
A cayene pepper (fruit) is a cultivar of the species _Capsicum annuum._

 Two different meanings for two different things.

from Wikipedia.....Cayenne pepper is considered to be a misnomer by the American Spice Trade Association, which prefers the more generic term red pepper. Generally speaking any of a number of peppers are called cayenne.


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 3, 2008)

As a hot-pepper fanatic (both growing & cooking), I must add/agree that Cayenne Pepper is definitely *NOT* just a generic term for ground hot red pepper. It is a very *specific* variety of pepper that I frequently grow myself. Here's a link to just one cultivar of Cayenne:

http://rareseeds.com/search.php

Others I'm familiar with are "Super Cayenne", "Long Red Slim", & "Hot Portugal". These are all "cultivars" of "Cayenne" peppers.

Unfortunately, I believe many people, if not totally confused by the sheer number of different hot peppers in existence, are equally confused by the term "cultivar". While Cayenne is a specific *variety* of pepper, there are a number of different *"cultivars"* of that specific variety, just as there are different "cultivars" of every other vegetable on the planet. There are a number of different cultivars of Bell Pepper, of Jalapeno, of Habanero. None of these are "generic" terms, & neither is Cayenne.


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## waaza (Aug 3, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> As a hot-pepper fanatic (both growing & cooking), I must add/agree that Cayenne Pepper is definitely *NOT* just a generic term for ground hot red pepper. It is a very *specific* variety of pepper that I frequently grow myself. Here's a link to just one cultivar of Cayenne:
> 
> http://rareseeds.com/search.php
> 
> ...




not disagreeing with what you have said, but the term 'cayenne pepper', as used in culinary terms, can be a powdered mix of any chilli variety/cultivar.


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## GotGarlic (Aug 3, 2008)

Probably more than you ever wanted to know about capsicum, but here you go: Capsicums: Innovative Uses of an Ancient Crop


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 3, 2008)

"not disagreeing with what you have said, but the term 'cayenne pepper', as used in culinary terms, can be a powdered mix of any chilli variety/cultivar."

Well, all I can say is - that terminology must stop IMMEDIATELY.


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## waaza (Aug 3, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> "not disagreeing with what you have said, but the term 'cayenne pepper', as used in culinary terms, can be a powdered mix of any chilli variety/cultivar."
> 
> Well, all I can say is - that terminology must stop IMMEDIATELY.




in most parts of the world, it never started. One reason for the confusion is the use, in the US, of the term chilli powder to describe a mix to be used in the dish chile con carne, the mix including chilli pepper powder, cumin, salt and dried herbs. Chilli pepper in the UK is just powdered dry chillies, or used to be, until we started using US based jars of spices. So, I blame the US (and the French, who also use the term cayenne).

I thought Hot Portugal was an Anaheim cultivar?


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 3, 2008)

Definitely not the "Hot Portugal" I grew.  Seeds were marked "Hot Portugal Cayenne", were long, thin, & BLISTERINGLY HOT - lol!

I've never had an Anaheim that wasn't just a meager step up from a regular Bell pepper heat-wise.


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## KissTC (Aug 3, 2008)

Part of it is generic...The pepper part!

The word "pepper" used in this way, is an American generic word that refers to any member of the capsicum family. For example, what Amercians call bell pepper, is simply capsicum to almost everyone else.

So cayenne pepper is what it is called in America and it is called cayene chilli in other parts of the world. In most parts for non-hot it is capsicum and for hot it is chilli...And in America it's all pepper regardless of hot or not.

I hope that is of help.


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## waaza (Aug 4, 2008)

I think you will find it was called chilli pepper way before America was even thought of. It is not called cayenne chilli by anyone I can think of.

cayenne pepper = (any) ground chilli

cayenne chilli = the fruit of the variety (or cultivars) of the cayenne chilli plant


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## jennyema (Aug 4, 2008)

waaza said:


> I think you will find it was called chilli pepper way before America was even thought of. It is not called cayenne chilli by anyone I can think of.
> 
> cayenne pepper = (any) ground chilli
> 
> cayenne chilli = the fruit of the variety (or cultivars) of the cayenne chilli plant


 

I'm sorry but that isn't true. That would mean that you would call ground habernero peppers "cayenne pepper." Or ground dry jalepenos. Which would be wrong, in culinary terms.

The ground cayenne pepper I buy is ground cayenne chile peppers. 

Maybe some purveyors sell you something else, but that doesn't mean that the term "cayenne pepper" can be used to decribe any ground chile pepper.

In the US "chile powder" is powdered dry chile peppers.  "Chili powder" is a spice mix, with dry chles, cumin, garlic oregano and sometimes salt, meant to flavor chili (the stew).


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## KissTC (Aug 4, 2008)

waaza said:


> I think you will find it was called chilli pepper way before America was even thought of. It is not called cayenne chilli by anyone I can think of.
> 
> cayenne pepper = (any) ground chilli
> 
> cayenne chilli = the fruit of the variety (or cultivars) of the cayenne chilli plant


 
Jennyema is correct. Saying that cayenne pepper is any ground chilli, is like saying that tabasco is a sauce and only a sauce!

I am not able to post URLs yet. But you can try using Google to do an image search for "cayenne pepper" and then "cayenne chilli". (you can search one l "chili" or 2 "chilli"). You will then see that cayenne pepper and cayenne chilli are the exact same creature and that in America they are called pepper and chilli in other parts of the word. 

That is the only difference...Location.


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## waaza (Aug 5, 2008)

KissTC said:


> Jennyema is correct. Saying that cayenne pepper is any ground chilli, is like saying that tabasco is a sauce and only a sauce!
> 
> I am not able to post URLs yet. But you can try using Google to do an image search for "cayenne pepper" and then "cayenne chilli". (you can search one l "chili" or 2 "chilli"). You will then see that cayenne pepper and cayenne chilli are the exact same creature and that in America they are called pepper and chilli in other parts of the word.
> 
> That is the only difference...Location.



No, I am sorry. The words cayenne pepper and chilli pepper are used synonymously, they both mean ground chillies, except in America, it would seem, where chilli powder means powder for chilli con carne. It is very rare that cayenne pepper (powder) means ground powder from the cayenne chilli fruit.



> "Saying that cayenne pepper is any ground chilli, is like saying that tabasco is a sauce and only a sauce!"


 No it isn't, that's just a silly simile.


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 5, 2008)

Good grief guys - give it a friggin rest.  If you folks who don't live in the U.S. INSIST on calling ANY ground red pepper "cayenne", by all means, knock yourselves out.  

However, that does NOT mean it's correct.  And you can argue & piss & moan all you want, but Cayenne pepper IS & ALWAYS WILL BE A SPECIFIC TYPE OF PEPPER.  And if you do even the most menial amount of research, you will find the facts to back that up.  It doesn't even need all that much research.  It's simply true.

Just because you all want it to mean ANY type of ground pepper doesn't make it factually so.  One can only hope that you'll at some time take the plunge & discover the wild & wonderful world of all the different varieties of hot peppers out there, instead of just relying on your obviously generic mishmosh & misnamed "cayenne".


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## waaza (Aug 5, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> Good grief guys - give it a friggin rest.  If you folks who don't live in the U.S. INSIST on calling ANY ground red pepper "cayenne", by all means, knock yourselves out.
> 
> However, that does NOT mean it's correct.  And you can argue & piss & moan all you want, but Cayenne pepper IS & ALWAYS WILL BE A SPECIFIC TYPE OF PEPPER.  And if you do even the most menial amount of research, you will find the facts to back that up.  It doesn't even need all that much research.  It's simply true.
> 
> Just because you all want it to mean ANY type of ground pepper doesn't make it factually so.  One can only hope that you'll at some time take the plunge & discover the wild & wonderful world of all the different varieties of hot peppers out there, instead of just relying on your obviously generic mishmosh & misnamed "cayenne".




but you really don't get it.
Cayenne is a specific chilli pepper, there's no dispute, but what we/anyone calls cayenne pepper is a generic name for what the rest of the world calls chilli pepper, but the US doesn't because 'chilli pepper' describes that which is added to chilli con carne.

Look here:

"Cayenne pepper is considered to be misnomer by the American Spice Trade Association, which prefers the more generic term red pepper. Generally speaking any of a number of peppers are called cayenne."

If you want to disagree, disagree with your own American Spice Trade Association.

I rest my case,


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 5, 2008)

LOL!!! I rest my case too - because it's only too obvious that you can't read for comprehension. Laughably, even your American Spice Trade Association quote supports what I've been saying - LOL!!!! (Oh - & by the way, it's "chili", not "chilli".  Want to start a fight about that?  Lol!!)  The word "misnomer" MEANS that the American Spice Trade Association agrees that the name is being used incorrectly.

You know what? I don't give a rat's patootie what you want to call the generic mishmosh of ground peppers you're using over there in the UK. Call it whatever you want. I'll happily continue to buy & use PURE ground "Cayenne" peppers or PURE ground Jalapeno peppers, or PURE ground Chipotle (smoked Jalapenos -want to start a fight about that? Lol!!) peppers, or the ground peppers of any variety ad infinitum that I can buy or grow myself.

Your so so very sadly informed & so sadly & obviously without good pepper sources or information where you live. But that's your misfortune, luckily not mine.


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## GrillingFool (Aug 5, 2008)

Both are right. It just depends on where you are.
Just like Kleenex, Xerox and other specific brand names that
have become generic as well. 

Gimme a Coke doesn't always mean someone wants a Coca Cola.
Go make me a Xerox copy...
Can I have a Kleenex, please?

So some use Cayenne as a specific pepper, like the ones in my window garden.
But I have a package of ground Cayenne pepper powder that has ingredients
of "ground red pepper". And its from McCormick or Durkee, I forget which.

I submit that for 99% of the cooks in the world, the fine line of what is Cayenne
probably doesn't matter, either.


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## waaza (Aug 5, 2008)

GrillingFool said:


> Both are right. It just depends on where you are.
> Just like Kleenex, Xerox and other specific brand names that
> have become generic as well.
> 
> ...






From: http://www.mobymud.com/spicy.htm
Interestingly, chilli is the original spelling from the Central American Nahuatl Indians and both chile and chili are derived from it.

From: http://www.chilipepper.com/AboutChilipeppers/tabid/57/Default.aspx
Spelling and usage
The three primary spellings are chili, chile and chilli, all of which are recognized by dictionaries.
Chili is also widely used, but this spelling is discouraged by some, since it is more commonly used to refer to a popular Southwestern-American dish (also known as chili con carne, the official state dish of Texas), as well as to the mixture of cumin and other spices (chili powder) used to flavor it. Chile powder, on the other hand, refers to dried, ground chile peppers. As with the alternative pronunciation of "route" after the song "route 66", this spelling was popularized in part by the band Red Hot Chili Peppers. 
Chile is the American spelling (uncommon elsewhere, [surprise surprise!]) which refers specifically to this plant and its fruit. This orthography is universal in the Spanish-speaking world, although in some parts the plant and its fruit are better known as ají. In the American southwest (particularly northern New Mexico), chile also denotes a thick, spicy, un-vinegared sauce, which is available in red and green varieties and which is often served over most New Mexican cuisine. 
Chilli is the preferred spelling according to the Oxford English Dictionary, although it also lists chile and chili as variants.


From:  www.fiery-foods.com/dave/profile_cayenne.html
Cayenne as a Medicine 
Cayenne is a pod type of the annuum species, and there are many cultivars, or varieties that are grown around the world. However, the cayenne you buy for use in capsules and cooking may not be made from the cayenne pod type--in fact, it probably is not. Cayenne pod types are grown around the world, mostly in Africa, India, and the United States. But in the U.S., for example, the entire crop, most of which is grown in New Mexico and West Texas, is used in the manufacture of Louisiana-style hot sauces. Virtually any small, hot red chile can be ground and placed in a capsule and called cayenne. But this is not necessarily an indictment because there is no difference in the composition of the different pod types and varieties of the annuum species, except in flavor elements and heat level. In summary, a capsule of ground piquin pods will virtually be the same in chemical composition as a capsule of ground cayenne pods. In fact, the American Spice Trade Association considers the term cayenne to be a misnomer and prefers the more generic term, red pepper.

From: http://www.foodproductdesign.com/articles/0201sr.html
Red pepper is increasingly significant in the spice trade. Spicy capsicum pepper consumption in the United States has increased 125% over the past 25 years. In its most general use, red pepper means a ground or crushed product, which may be produced from any variety of dried, fiery capsicum pods, or "chilies." 
Ground red pepper is sometimes called "cayenne." This term carries no industry standard of heat level, nor is it a particular type of capsicum. As a result, the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) has recommended that cayenne be phased out as a product term. In the meantime, when a company feels it should continue using the term to avoid customer confusion, ASTA suggests that cayenne be parenthetical to the main term, red pepper.

See also: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result

From: http://www.atomos.net/chilli_02.htm
Chilli is made from the ground fruit of a plant in the Capsicum family. The fruits, commonly known as "chilies" or "Chillis," are fiery red or orange pods which rarely grow to more than 4 inches in length. The ground product ranges from orangered, to deep, dark red. According to the American Spice Trade Association, "Chilli" is the preferred name for all hot Chilli spices. Cayenne Chilli is another name for the same type of product. Some manufacturers use the term Cayenne Chilli to refer to a hotter version of Chilli.


From: http://www.greenpapaya.org/category/herbs/red-pepper/
Don’t Call It Cayenne
The term cayenne comes from the Caribbean Indian word kian. Today Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana. But ironically, only a tiny fraction of the u.s. red pepper supply comes from South America or the Caribbean. Most comes from India and Africa. Tabasco (Louisiana pepper) grows along the Gulf Coast of the United States. Because so little red pepper comes from around Cayenne, the American Spice Trade Association considers cayenne a misnomer and says this herb should be called red pepper.


From: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5804239.html

The capsicum oleoresin ingredient of the composition of this invention is an isolate from plants of the Capsicum family, such as Capsicum annum and Capsicum frutescens. Available sources of capsicum oleoresin are commonly known as paprika, red pepper, chili pepper, and chile powder. Ground red pepper is sometimes referred to as "cayenne," to signify a ground red pepper product of extremely high heat, however, the word "cayenne" does not carry an industry standard of heat level nor is it a particular type of Capsicum. In the spice trade which is the major user of red pepper varietal and origin distinctions are being de-emphasized in favor of standardizing by heat level. Heat level can be expressed in ASTA (American Spice Trade Association) units equal to parts per million of capsaicin measured by high pressure liquid chromatography, or in organoleptically determined Scoville heat units (SU), whereby 1 ASTA unit=15 SU. Pungency levels of ground red pepper typically range from 300 to 1,000 ASTA Heat Units corresponding to 4,500 to 60,000 SU.


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## GrillingFool (Aug 5, 2008)

I was rather surprised that the flesh of the cayenne peppers (sold as cayenne) I am window pot growing had a decidedly sweet taste to them before the heat kicks in. 

Very different from bell, jalapeno and bird peppers, which are about my limit to eat 
fresh. I have a Scoville units linked hiccup response, LOL!


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 5, 2008)

Yes - aren't they a delightful pepper? Once I started growing different CAYENNE CULTIVARS, I found myself using them fresh more & more rather than dry.

These days, the only ones I find myself drying are the smaller, thinner skinned Thai pepper varieties. The other types I grow (Hungarian Wax, Jalapenos, etc., etc.) I find myself using fresh or freezing for use during the winter.

(Notice that I've completely given up on ever educating poor misguided Waazu over in the UK - lol!!!)


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## waaza (Aug 5, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> (Notice that I've completely given up on ever educating poor misguided Waaza over in the UK - lol!!!)



The fault, dear Breezy, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves.


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 5, 2008)

Lol - whatever floats your boat Waazu.

Tonight I'll be making "Spaghetti with Clam Sauce", & will, of course, be adding crushed CAYENNE pepper flakes from my own home-grown CAYENNE peppers. I think these are from the "Long Thin Cayenne" cultivar I grew last year.  Can't abide by that "generic" stuff - lol!


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## waaza (Aug 5, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> Lol - whatever floats your boat Waaza.
> 
> Tonight I'll be making "Spaghetti with Clam Sauce", & will, of course, be adding crushed CAYENNE pepper flakes from my own home-grown CAYENNE peppers. I think these are from the "Long Thin Cayenne" cultivar I grew last year.  Can't abide by that "generic" stuff - lol!



aye, grow your own, wonderful stuff, at least you know where its been, but surely Italian chillies are not as hot as real cayenne chillies?

regards


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 5, 2008)

Actually, it doesn't make any difference where the pepper is grown.  Cayenne peppers grown in Italy are just as hot as those grown in the U.S.  The Mediterranean climate is ideal for pepper growing.  But again - since "Cayenne"  is a pepper variety, it doesn't make any difference whether it's grown in Italy or in the U.S., it's the same pepper.

And for any of you Cayenne fans out there, another one to keep an eye open for is "Long Yellow Cayenne".  I grew it back in 1995 & wish I had kept some seeds, since it's still around, but hard to come by.  Not quite as blistering hot as red types, but hot & fruity.  Sort of like a milder Habenero in taste.  Still with that long thin windy Cayenne appearance, but with a bright gold color when ripe.  Was great to use fresh, but was also interesting to dry & mix with dried red Cayenne types.


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## waaza (Aug 5, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> Actually, it doesn't make any difference where the pepper is grown.  Cayenne peppers grown in Italy are just as hot as those grown in the U.S.  The Mediterranean climate is ideal for pepper growing.  But again - since "Cayenne"  is a pepper variety, it doesn't make any difference whether it's grown in Italy or in the U.S., it's the same pepper.
> 
> And for any of you Cayenne fans out there, another one to keep an eye open for is "Long Yellow Cayenne".  I grew it back in 1995 & wish I had kept some seeds, since it's still around, but hard to come by.  Not quite as blistering hot as red types, but hot & fruity.  Sort of like a milder Habenero in taste.  Still with that long thin windy Cayenne appearance, but with a bright gold color when ripe.  Was great to use fresh, but was also interesting to dry & mix with dried red Cayenne types.



I don't agree, I think climate and soil type and available fertilizer make a real difference. Loads of info on the net about this, unless you disagree, then you must be right again.


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 5, 2008)

Oh for heaven's sake, what IS your problem?

Of course growth culture makes a difference.  Why else would I even mention that the Mediterranean climate is so perfect for peppers?  You just seem itching to pick a pepper fight with me (can you say that 3 times fast? )

But growth culture aside, the *basic *attributes of Cayenne peppers, Jalapeno peppers, Habenero peppers, Bell peppers, will still come through.

Take that!!


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## KissTC (Aug 6, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> But growth culture aside, the *basic *attributes of Cayenne peppers, Jalapeno peppers, Habenero peppers, Bell peppers, will still come through.
> 
> Take that!!


 
Is that it?...Are we all done and finished?...It will sell, any last bids?

Going once...Going Twice...Going...

A quick bid from the gent at the back in the hat ...It's game on!

Surely you mean...Cayenne chilli, Jalapeno chilli, Habenero chilli, Bell...no forget the bell, just capsicum,...


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## Claire (Sep 22, 2008)

I grow a variety known as "super cayenne".  Hubby strings them and when dried I stick them in the food processor and make my own chile flakes.  Cayenne is most definitely a variety of pepper.  I like the "supers" because they are a lilttle milder than the "regular" cayennes.


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