Red Hot Chili Peppers: ZACMI Flies to Mexico for Worldwide Tour

Worldwide Tour, Red Hot Chili Peppers… wait, this must be about rock music, right?
Not quite. This is much better—at least for those interested in the Food & Beverage industry and food production.
The spicy red chilli pepper and our journey to Mexico are truly the central themes of this article, with all due respect to the band of Kiedis, Flea, and Frusciante.

As you probably know by now, if you’ve been following this column that has now reached episode no. 7, we at ZACMI love to provide top-notch after-sales service, helping our customers get the most out of the machinery they’ve purchased from us for many years to come.

This is one of the reasons (alongside the promotion of food culture) why we decided to launch this entire series of articles focused on a specific food.

Extending the Life of Your Machine

Scheduled maintenance and on-site assistance: all in the shortest possible time .
This is the ZACMI’s mission which is not however just a mission but a concrete reality.
This is why we went to South America to install new spare parts in the seamers of this major Mexican company.

The process was very simple and quick.
First of all, you should know that we make use of a service we have dubbed Global Service, which provides local support when and where it is most needed, that is provided by specialised technicians always present in various countries worldwide.

With specific reference to Mexico, we rely on the essential help of our Field Engineer Omar Gutierrez who, due to his extensive experience with ZACMI machinery, can operate in a fully independent way.

Mr Gutierrez (who uses the analysis tools provided by ZACMI, such as Customer Care, capable of indicating – among other things – scheduled maintenance based on the actual hours of use of a specific machine) notified the company of the need for intervention on their machines, went to their site, conducted the audit, and informed the headquarters of which original parts needed to be replaced, as they had reached the end of their lifecycle.

We promptly sent our technicians with the necessary spare parts and, within a few hours, installed them, minimising machine downtime.

In this way, we achieved 3 significant advantages:

1. we replaced worn parts before they failed, avoiding longer and more costly production stoppages
2. we scheduled the intervention, replacing the parts within an agreed scope, minimising the inconvenience to the company
3. we sent our specialised technicians to the site who, in addition to carrying out the replacement operation, also optimised the machines, ensuring the company that everything is at the highest level of efficiency

And so the production of chilli sauce and various chilli-derived products was able to resume, without hitches and without economic losses.
This is why, now that everything is in order and optimised, we can relax a bit, listening to the story of the chilli pepper.

The Saga of the Chilli Pepper: From Sacred Plant and Currency to Poor Man’s Spice and Gourmet Ingredient

You should know that the chilli pepper has a millennia-old history, with its roots deep in Mexico and Peru, where it was used by indigenous populations as the only spice as early as 5000 B.C.
Archaeological findings in Tehuacan, Mexico and Guitarrero, Peru show that chilli peppers were used as far back as 9,000 years ago and were cultivated as early as 5,000 B.C.

The chilli pepper is a key figure in all the so-called pre-Columbian civilisations, such as the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas, where it was considered a sacred plant and was also used as currency.
Interesting evidence includes the Tello Obelisk (800-1,000 A.D.), depicting a mythological dragon with chilli peppers firmly grasped in its claws, and the Nazca embroideries (400-600 A.D.) showing a farmer with some chilli peppers hanging around his neck.

Christopher Columbus brought the chilli pepper to Europe in 1492, labelling it as “pimiento” (pepper), while in South America it was called “Aji.” It was the physician Diego Alvaro Chanca, on Columbus’s second expedition, who was the first Westerner to discover its spicy flavour.

Initially, as often happens (see, for example, the tomato), the chilli pepper was only used as an ornamental plant; it later became a genuine food item, albeit labelled the “poor man’s spice” because it was mainly used by peasants to flavour their dishes.

From Spain, the chilli pepper quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean, favoured by the climate and the sun, taking root particularly well in southern Italy, where it remains the preferred spice, thanks to its health benefits and the charming superstitions that have accompanied it (which we will discuss shortly).
Sixty years after its introduction in Spain, by 1552, the chilli pepper was already widespread throughout the Iberian Peninsula, as evidenced by the writings of Bartolomé de Las Casas.

Unlike peas, which we discussed here, it took some time for the chilli pepper to make its way into the dishes of high society as well. From the 19th century onwards, some chefs and gastronomists, such as Vincenzo Corrado and Ippolito Cavalcanti in Naples, began to highlight the chilli pepper even in the most refined kitchens.

Moreover, the establishment of the Italian Chilli Pepper Academy in Calabria has helped promote the quality and popularity of the chilli pepper, freeing it from the sole connotation of the “poor man’s spice.”

Thus, while maintaining its origins linked to the lower classes, the chilli pepper has gradually gained wider distribution and appreciation across different social strata, becoming a spice appreciated even in the most gourmet kitchens.

And then, as we know, the spread of this Capsicum berry is also linked to other factors, such as superstition or the belief that those who eat chilli peppers may live longer. Is it true?

Those Who Eat Chilli Peppers Live Longer

Let’s be clear from the outset: regular consumption of chilli peppers seems to be associated with greater longevity and a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Several studies have shown that people who consume chilli peppers at least four times a week have significantly lower mortality rates compared to those who consume them rarely or never. This positive effect is believed to be due to capsaicin, the chemical compound that gives chilli peppers their spicy flavour, which possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We will soon see other uses for it.

Chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with various conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Chilli peppers, thanks to capsaicin, could help control inflammation and reduce the risk of developing these conditions.

However, it is important to note that, although there is a correlation between chilli consumption and health benefits, it has not yet been proven that chilli peppers are the direct cause of greater longevity. Further research is certainly needed to fully understand its role and the mechanisms through which chilli peppers might positively influence lifespan.

Therefore, at least scientifically, it is difficult to bestow upon it the title of elixir of long life. And as for good luck? Well, here we completely leave the realm of reason. And that’s the beauty of it.

Does the Chilli Pepper Bring Good Luck?

As you may know, the chilli pepper has become a symbol of good luck, especially in southern Italy. In particular, in Neapolitan folklore, it is considered an amulet and is hung in homes to ward off the evil eye and bad luck. Even in ancient Rome, the red “horn” of the chilli pepper was associated with beliefs in fertility, physical strength, and economic power.

But what are the reasons behind this association? Why the chilli pepper? Have you ever wondered?

The historical and cultural reasons are manifold:

• Phallic Shape and Virility: Since prehistoric times, the elongated and curved shape of the chilli pepper has been compared to the phallic form, a symbol of strength, power, and fertility.
• Red Colour: Its bright red pigment (the curious origin of which we will soon explore according to a popular legend) has led to its association with blood and fire, elements considered symbols of energy, vitality, and protection.
• Introduction to Europe by Christopher Columbus: When Columbus brought the chilli pepper from the Americas to Europe in 1492, it was immediately associated with the lucky horn due to its characteristic shape.

In short, morphological characteristics and colour have given this berry a meaning that, over time, has become embedded in the culture and still persists in many areas of our country.
There is, however, an even more curious story that explains why the chilli pepper has such a fascinating ruby colour.

Red with Shame

Once upon a time, there was a chilli seed that, after a long and adventurous sea journey, finally reached land, forgetting its past and origins.
By a stroke of luck or perhaps fate, the seed was bought by a farmer at the market, who planted it in her garden with loving care.
That seed, unaware of what it would become, soon sprouted and grew into a vigorous little plant, adorned with bright green leaves and small white flowers.

The farmer’s children, who often played in the garden, watched the plant grow with curiosity and speculated about its future fruits: some imagined sweet fruits like apples, others thought of prickly thorns like brambles, and others still imagined crunchy and juicy berries.

When the first small chillies finally ripened, the children could not resist the temptation to taste them. But their reaction was completely unexpected: coughing, grimacing, and red faces revealed the hot and fiery taste.
The little plant, disappointed that it did not have sweet fruits as it wished, watched its chillies, initially bright green, turn red in a sign of remorse and shame.

The children’s mother, however, intrigued by their reactions, decided to use those little red chillies in her cooking. She discovered that their spicy flavour, although initially surprising, captivated the palate with an enticing note.

From that moment on, the chilli pepper was no longer just a simple fruit in the farmer’s garden but became an admired and cultivated plant for its distinctive taste that would soon conquer the entire world.

This is clearly a beautiful fairy tale, but why is the chilli pepper really red?

Chilli Pepper Colour!

It’s all because of capsanthin.
This compound, which gives the characteristic bright red colour to ripe chillies, has had various uses throughout history.

• As a textile dye: In ancient times, capsanthin was extracted from chillies to dye fabrics and carpets. This red carotenoid was a natural dye alternative to the more expensive dyes from the East.
• Modern use as a food colouring: today, capsanthin is still used as a colouring agent, but in a chemically extracted form. It is identified by the code E160c and is widely used in the food industry to impart a red colour to numerous products such as sausages, sauces, cheeses, candies, etc.

Capsanthin is particularly found in Hungarian chillies from which paprika is produced.
Although paprika has a much lower capsaicin content compared to other spicy varieties, its capsanthin is still used to extract the E160c colourant.

So far, we have talked about the pigment (capsanthin), with only a brief mention of capsaicin, the chemical compound present in varying concentrations in plants of the Capsicum genus, one of the alkaloids responsible for most of the “spiciness” of chillies.

So, let’s delve into what capsaicin is and, most importantly, find out which is currently the hottest chilli pepper in the world.

What is the Hottest Chilli Pepper in the World?

As mentioned, chilli peppers are spicy due to a molecule called capsaicin. This substance is likely produced by some plants of the Capsicum genus as a defence mechanism to make them less appealing to animals.

Capsaicin stimulates heat receptors in the human body, causing the sensation of burning and spiciness. Some studies suggest that people have varying tolerances to spiciness, while others claim there are no differences in sensitivity between those who love and those who dislike spicy foods.

The spiciness of chilli peppers can be measured on the Scoville scale, developed in 1912 by pharmacist Wilbur Scoville. The higher the Scoville rating (SHU), the higher the concentration of capsaicin and thus the sensation of heat.

To alleviate spiciness, one can drink milk, eat ice cream, or cheese, as casein binds to capsaicin, greatly reducing its effects.

Currently, the hottest chilli pepper in the world is Pepper X, which reaches a record-breaking score of 3.18 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU) on the spiciness scale. For comparison, a typical supermarket chilli pepper ranges between 100 and 500 SHU! The habanero, often considered among the hottest, does not exceed 350,000 SHU.

Pepper X is a variety developed by grower Ed Currie in South Carolina. It currently surpasses the previous record held by the Dragon’s Breath chilli, which scored 2.48 million SHU.

Here’s the updated ranking of the top 5 hottest chilli peppers in the world:

1. Pepper X: 3.18 million SHU
2. Dragon’s Breath: 2.48 million SHU
3. Carolina Reaper: 2.2 million SHU
4. Trinidad Moruga Scorpion: 2 million SHU
5. 7-Pot Primo: 1.2 million SHU

And what if capsaicin from chilli peppers, with its ability to stimulate heat receptors causing the sensation of burning, were used as a weapon?

Chilli Pepper as a Chemical Weapon

It is documented that in ancient Peru, the Incas indeed used chilli peppers as a weapon, exploiting their irritating properties released during combustion.

When the wind blew in their favour, the Incas would burn large quantities of chilli peppers, turning them into an acrid and irritating smoke. This smoke was directed towards enemies, temporarily blinding and stunning them.
This tactic allowed the Incas to gain a tactical advantage, giving them time to escape, regroup, or attack. In this sense, the stinging smoke caused by burning chilli peppers was a kind of primitive “chemical weapon.”

Today, compounds extracted from chilli peppers, such as capsaicin, are still used to produce sprays and tear gas for self-defence and crowd control purposes.
As we have seen, the military use of chilli peppers is not new, but has ancient roots in the history of pre-Columbian civilizations like the Incas.

However, we much prefer their culinary use. We are enamoured with the lively sensation that a balanced amount of chilli pepper can impart to a dish, enhancing its sensory characteristics and intensifying its flavours.

For this reason, with our specialised technicians, we continue to support companies that produce derivatives from this wonderful berry, which has rightfully entered into global culinary culture.
And, of course, we couldn’t resist ending this article with a straightforward analogy: just as chilli peppers are said to prolong life, we certainly prolong the life of your machinery through our scheduled maintenance services!

01.07.2024