hile peppers are such a deep, essential feature of so many food cultures that it seems hard to believe they occurred only in South and Central America until brought to the Caribbean by seafaring indigenous people and, later, to the rest of the world by Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama and the rise of global plunder and trade. Some chiles are bright and fruity, others dark and broody; some have sharp vegetal flavors when eaten fresh; others, dried or smoked, are rich and deep. Heat varies from none (Workman)—which explores pantry ingredients from around the world for both traditional and cross-cultural recipes—we often turned to chile heat and flavors for inspiration. Look for these products in specialty shops and, of course, from the virtual global pantry—the internet.
