Cayenne peppers?
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expatgirl
Master Chef
no, Nick, I don't think that cayenne and red chiles are not the same but you can sub them for a lot of recipes---they may be in the same genus of peppers---that I don't know but both have a kick and that's what most people go for when they use them
Uncle Bob
Chef Extraordinaire
Cayenne is just one variety of around 200 varieties of Chiles...So like Miss Expatgirl said...N0 Cayenne is not a generic term for all chilies (peppers)
JPolito830
Cook
The fruits are generally dried and ground, or pulped and baked into cakes, which are then ground and sifted to make the powder, Cayenne pepper. There are a ton of medicinal purposes as well.
waaza
Senior Cook
cayenne pepper and chilli pepper are the same thing, except when the chilli pepper refers to chile con carne, when it contains other things such as salt, cumin and herbs.
Cayenne is a port in French Guiana, South America, from where chilli pepper was exported to Europe, Africa, India and China/Japan. So any variety of chilli pepper could be called cayenne, although there is a specific variety called 'cayenne', which has a long history, and may well have been one of the three original chillies taken to India to cultivate.
Some manufactures of chilli powder will blend various kinds of chilli to produce a more consistant (heat and colour) product.
The best way to deal with all this is buy whole dried chilli peppers of known origin (and variety) and grind them yourself. This way you may be able to detect subtle differences, but is anything subtle with chillies?
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Cayenne pepper is not a generic term. It is a specific type of pepper just as jalapeno, habanero, and Anaheim are all types of specific peppers.
waaza
Senior Cook
cayenne pepper is both a generic term and a specific variety (cultivar). Ground cayenne pepper, bought in a shop is a ground mix of any chilli varieties.
A cayene pepper (fruit) is a cultivar of the species Capsicum annuum.
Two different meanings for two different things.
from Wikipedia.....Cayenne pepper is considered to be a misnomer by the American Spice Trade Association, which prefers the more generic term red pepper. Generally speaking any of a number of peppers are called cayenne.
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
As a hot-pepper fanatic (both growing & cooking), I must add/agree that Cayenne Pepper is definitely NOT just a generic term for ground hot red pepper. It is a very specific variety of pepper that I frequently grow myself. Here's a link to just one cultivar of Cayenne:
http://rareseeds.com/search.php
Others I'm familiar with are "Super Cayenne", "Long Red Slim", & "Hot Portugal". These are all "cultivars" of "Cayenne" peppers.
Unfortunately, I believe many people, if not totally confused by the sheer number of different hot peppers in existence, are equally confused by the term "cultivar". While Cayenne is a specific variety of pepper, there are a number of different "cultivars" of that specific variety, just as there are different "cultivars" of every other vegetable on the planet. There are a number of different cultivars of Bell Pepper, of Jalapeno, of Habanero. None of these are "generic" terms, & neither is Cayenne.
http://rareseeds.com/search.php
Others I'm familiar with are "Super Cayenne", "Long Red Slim", & "Hot Portugal". These are all "cultivars" of "Cayenne" peppers.
Unfortunately, I believe many people, if not totally confused by the sheer number of different hot peppers in existence, are equally confused by the term "cultivar". While Cayenne is a specific variety of pepper, there are a number of different "cultivars" of that specific variety, just as there are different "cultivars" of every other vegetable on the planet. There are a number of different cultivars of Bell Pepper, of Jalapeno, of Habanero. None of these are "generic" terms, & neither is Cayenne.
waaza
Senior Cook
not disagreeing with what you have said, but the term 'cayenne pepper', as used in culinary terms, can be a powdered mix of any chilli variety/cultivar.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Probably more than you ever wanted to know about capsicum, but here you go: Capsicums: Innovative Uses of an Ancient Crop
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
"not disagreeing with what you have said, but the term 'cayenne pepper', as used in culinary terms, can be a powdered mix of any chilli variety/cultivar."
Well, all I can say is - that terminology must stop IMMEDIATELY.
Well, all I can say is - that terminology must stop IMMEDIATELY.
waaza
Senior Cook
"not disagreeing with what you have said, but the term 'cayenne pepper', as used in culinary terms, can be a powdered mix of any chilli variety/cultivar."
Well, all I can say is - that terminology must stop IMMEDIATELY.
in most parts of the world, it never started. One reason for the confusion is the use, in the US, of the term chilli powder to describe a mix to be used in the dish chile con carne, the mix including chilli pepper powder, cumin, salt and dried herbs. Chilli pepper in the UK is just powdered dry chillies, or used to be, until we started using US based jars of spices. So, I blame the US (and the French, who also use the term cayenne).
I thought Hot Portugal was an Anaheim cultivar?
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
Definitely not the "Hot Portugal" I grew. Seeds were marked "Hot Portugal Cayenne", were long, thin, & BLISTERINGLY HOT - lol!
I've never had an Anaheim that wasn't just a meager step up from a regular Bell pepper heat-wise.
I've never had an Anaheim that wasn't just a meager step up from a regular Bell pepper heat-wise.
KissTC
Cook
Part of it is generic...The pepper part!
The word "pepper" used in this way, is an American generic word that refers to any member of the capsicum family. For example, what Amercians call bell pepper, is simply capsicum to almost everyone else.
So cayenne pepper is what it is called in America and it is called cayene chilli in other parts of the world. In most parts for non-hot it is capsicum and for hot it is chilli...And in America it's all pepper regardless of hot or not.
I hope that is of help.
The word "pepper" used in this way, is an American generic word that refers to any member of the capsicum family. For example, what Amercians call bell pepper, is simply capsicum to almost everyone else.
So cayenne pepper is what it is called in America and it is called cayene chilli in other parts of the world. In most parts for non-hot it is capsicum and for hot it is chilli...And in America it's all pepper regardless of hot or not.
I hope that is of help.
waaza
Senior Cook
I think you will find it was called chilli pepper way before America was even thought of. It is not called cayenne chilli by anyone I can think of.
cayenne pepper = (any) ground chilli
cayenne chilli = the fruit of the variety (or cultivars) of the cayenne chilli plant
cayenne pepper = (any) ground chilli
cayenne chilli = the fruit of the variety (or cultivars) of the cayenne chilli plant
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
I'm sorry but that isn't true. That would mean that you would call ground habernero peppers "cayenne pepper." Or ground dry jalepenos. Which would be wrong, in culinary terms.
The ground cayenne pepper I buy is ground cayenne chile peppers.
Maybe some purveyors sell you something else, but that doesn't mean that the term "cayenne pepper" can be used to decribe any ground chile pepper.
In the US "chile powder" is powdered dry chile peppers. "Chili powder" is a spice mix, with dry chles, cumin, garlic oregano and sometimes salt, meant to flavor chili (the stew).
KissTC
Cook
Jennyema is correct. Saying that cayenne pepper is any ground chilli, is like saying that tabasco is a sauce and only a sauce!
I am not able to post URLs yet. But you can try using Google to do an image search for "cayenne pepper" and then "cayenne chilli". (you can search one l "chili" or 2 "chilli"). You will then see that cayenne pepper and cayenne chilli are the exact same creature and that in America they are called pepper and chilli in other parts of the word.
That is the only difference...Location.
waaza
Senior Cook
Jennyema is correct. Saying that cayenne pepper is any ground chilli, is like saying that tabasco is a sauce and only a sauce!
I am not able to post URLs yet. But you can try using Google to do an image search for "cayenne pepper" and then "cayenne chilli". (you can search one l "chili" or 2 "chilli"). You will then see that cayenne pepper and cayenne chilli are the exact same creature and that in America they are called pepper and chilli in other parts of the word.
That is the only difference...Location.
No, I am sorry. The words cayenne pepper and chilli pepper are used synonymously, they both mean ground chillies, except in America, it would seem, where chilli powder means powder for chilli con carne. It is very rare that cayenne pepper (powder) means ground powder from the cayenne chilli fruit.
No it isn't, that's just a silly simile.
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
Good grief guys - give it a friggin rest. If you folks who don't live in the U.S. INSIST on calling ANY ground red pepper "cayenne", by all means, knock yourselves out.
However, that does NOT mean it's correct. And you can argue & piss & moan all you want, but Cayenne pepper IS & ALWAYS WILL BE A SPECIFIC TYPE OF PEPPER. And if you do even the most menial amount of research, you will find the facts to back that up. It doesn't even need all that much research. It's simply true.
Just because you all want it to mean ANY type of ground pepper doesn't make it factually so. One can only hope that you'll at some time take the plunge & discover the wild & wonderful world of all the different varieties of hot peppers out there, instead of just relying on your obviously generic mishmosh & misnamed "cayenne".
However, that does NOT mean it's correct. And you can argue & piss & moan all you want, but Cayenne pepper IS & ALWAYS WILL BE A SPECIFIC TYPE OF PEPPER. And if you do even the most menial amount of research, you will find the facts to back that up. It doesn't even need all that much research. It's simply true.
Just because you all want it to mean ANY type of ground pepper doesn't make it factually so. One can only hope that you'll at some time take the plunge & discover the wild & wonderful world of all the different varieties of hot peppers out there, instead of just relying on your obviously generic mishmosh & misnamed "cayenne".
waaza
Senior Cook
but you really don't get it.
Cayenne is a specific chilli pepper, there's no dispute, but what we/anyone calls cayenne pepper is a generic name for what the rest of the world calls chilli pepper, but the US doesn't because 'chilli pepper' describes that which is added to chilli con carne.
Look here:
"Cayenne pepper is considered to be misnomer by the American Spice Trade Association, which prefers the more generic term red pepper. Generally speaking any of a number of peppers are called cayenne."
If you want to disagree, disagree with your own American Spice Trade Association.
I rest my case,
