Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili powder blendorchili seasoning mix).[1] It is used as a spice (or spice blend) to add pungency (piquancy) and flavor to culinary dishes. In American English, the spelling is usually "chili"; in British English, "chilli" (with two "l"s) is used consistently.
Chili powder blends are composed chiefly of chili peppers and blended with other spices including cumin, onion, garlic powder, and sometimes salt.[3][4] The chilis are most commonly red chili peppers; "hot" varieties usually also include cayenne pepper. As a result of the varying recipes used, the spiciness of any given chili powder is variable.
The first commercial blends of chili powder in the U.S. were created by D.C. Pendery and William Gebhardt for chili con carne.[5] Gebhardt opened Miller's Saloon in New Braunfels, Texas. Chili was the town's favorite dish. However, chili peppers could only be found at certain times of the year. Gebhardt imported some ancho peppers from Mexico and ran the peppers through a small meat grinder three times and created the first commercial chili powder in 1894.[6]
Chili powder is very commonly seen in traditional Latin American and Asian cuisine. It is used in soups, tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, curries and meat.[7]
Chili can also be found in sauces and curry bases, such as chili con carne. Chili sauce can be used to marinate and season things such as meat.
^DeWitt, Dave; Gerlach, Nancy (2003), "Chili Conquers the U.S.A.", The Great Chili con Carne Project, Fiery-Foods.com, archived from the original on September 15, 2007, retrieved September 11, 2007
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The dictionary definition of chili powder at Wiktionary
Media related to Chilli powder at Wikimedia Commons
