Spice up your cooking with Hot Red Pepper - Cayenne

Cayenne Pepper in its dried form is generally known as Red Pepper. This is one of my favorite spices for daily use. I typically add Red Pepper to most pasta dishes, pizza, and stir fry recipes.

It is made from ripe chili peppers and is available in whole or ground forms.

Red Pepper was among the spices discovered by Columbus when he arrived in the Caribbean. Cayenne originated in Central and South America where it was often used for its medicinal value. The compound capsaicin, which is in this spice, is said to have many health benefits, including:

• improving circulation
• speeding up metabolism
• helping relieve pain
• reducing bad cholesterol

Did you know that Paprika is made from a milder chili pepper? This spice, which is popular in Hungary, adds color and flavor to many recipes. Paprika is sometimes used in crab recipes such as crab imperial.

Peppers also make very attractive plants if you have an herb garden.

Return to Types of Spices from Cayenne

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