Hi all is cayenne peppers a generic term for red chillis
Thank you
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.
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.
"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.
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
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
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 it isn't, that's just a silly simile."Saying that cayenne pepper is any ground chilli, is like saying that tabasco is a sauce and only a sauce!"
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".