Chili Pepper News

If only Pirates knew about the power of peppers… While the spicy peppers were a good source of Vitamin C to prevent scurvy, they also were later discovered that they help maintain the health of ships which would have come in handy when looking for buried treasures on the high seas.

St. Patrick’s Day is March 17. When you think of the green emerald isles of Ireland, you don’t normally associate it with peppers, however, Ireland has had its fair share of a run-in with peppers.

It’s no secret that hot peppers, more specifically capsaicin the compound in hot peppers that makes them so spicy can be harmful to mammals including humans if not consumed with care (make sure you use gloves while cooking with them). Animals can have allergic skin reactions to peppers if eaten or touched and of course be hard on their digestive systems as well. Birds, however, are immune to capsaicin.  

Historically speaking we are lucky to be living in the times of spicy foods and hot sauce. Back in the days poor pilgrims and pirates were eating non-flavorful foods plus having to deal with scurvy and dysentery (remember Oregon Trail?!). Let’s take a culinary journey back to the days of our ancestors when they could have used a little Mad Dog Colon Cleanser to kickstart that covered wagon.