Cayenne, like many other chili peppers, has been in cultivation for more
than 7,000 years. The hot, spicy flavor of the dried fruit of the plant
is due to the presence of a compound called capsaicin. The spice is a
staple in many world cuisines, including Thai, Korean, Vietnamese,
Chinese, Japanese, Mexican and Italian cooking. Cayenne is also widely
used throughout the Caribbean, where it was “discovered” by 16th century
spice traders and explorers, such as Christopher Columbus. The spice was
then introduced to Europe as a substitute for black pepper, which was
very expensive and hard to obtain at the time.
