Peperoncino

The Spice
Condiment, medicine, aphrodisiac, peperoncino has been a highly prized spice since the most ancient of times. Its earliest archeological evidence dates back 9,000 years ago to a site in Mexico. By 5,500 A.D., peperoncino had already become one of the region's cultivated plants. In the early 16th century, it helped spice up Montezuma's incarceration period: a captive of Cortez, the last Aztec emperor would amuse himself with his concubines while consuming dishes liberally dashed with crushed pepper flakes. The spice first arrived in Europe with Christopher Columbus' return journey from America. However, even before that date, the plant had spread across Asia and Africa by other more subtle means.
Peperoncino varieties can be green or red, round or long, and more or less hot. Today, they are found and used widely all over the world, maintaining an especially notable presence in the south of Italy. There, they have helped to shape Italian meridional cuisine, particularly in Calabria, where humble ingredients, fewer meats, and generous helpings of vegetables are fired up and made more inviting with the help of the potent spice. The most popular Italian table peperoncino is the capsicum annuum: a plant bearing very hot and finely tapered long red peppers. Cayenne and chili are two species included in this variety.

In the Kitchen
Fresh or dried, peperoncino peppers can add character to a variety of dishes, soups, pickled items, sauces and marinades. When dried, the spice keeps for long periods of time. It can be preserved whole, finely chopped, ground, or placed in a jar and then covered with oil. In Italy, the peppers are often threaded on a string by their stalks, and hung. This practice is known as "diavolicchio", a term taken from the Abbruzzese dialect, and refers to the heat associated with the devil in popular folklore.
In Mexico, peperoncino aids in flavoring tortillas, while in Africa it is mixed with manioca, and in Asia with rice. Traditional Italian pastas, stews, vegetable dishes, and meats all frequently smack with this zesty condiment, as it provides a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to tempt the palate and indulge the stomach.

Tips
In terms of flavor, peperoncino falls into three broad categories: sweet, spicy, and extra spicy. In general, the smaller the pepper, the more intense the piquancy. This deduction stems from the correlation between fruit, pod, and seed sizes. When cooking with peperoncino (or any spicy or peppery ingredient), balance and moderation are key. In any case, peperoncino consumption should never be excessive, and should always be determined by the level of personal tolerance.

Healing Properties
Peperoncino is thought to harbor many healthful properties. High in Vitamin C, it is useful for those combating the effects of nicotine, and can even alleviate dependence by producing similar, but innocuous effects. Peperoncino acts as a preventative against cardiovascular disease, and helps to alleviate symptoms for those suffering from an enlarged prostate, loss of appetite, and depression. Topically, peperoncino may reduce inflammation and increase blood supply to arthritic and rheumatic areas of the body. Theories even exist on the benefits of peperoncino for cancer patients. While there is a caution against pepper where the stomach is concerned, moderate use of the spice will actually aid in digestion, and can successfully prevent intestinal infections.

Superstition
Peperoncino possesses an undisputed and widely popular history as an aphrodisiac. Though much skepticism surrounds modern-day aphrodisiacs, current re shows one thing for certain: peperoncino is rich in vitamin E, sometimes heralded as the vitamin of fertility and sexual potency. A more reliable explanation for the propagation of this theory derives from the pepper's fiery red color and unique phallic shape.