The term "cayenne" is often used to refer to any ground pepper, but true cayenne (which takes its name from the French Guinea city of Cayenne) is actually a particular type of chili pepper-about four to 12 inches long, thin, and very pungent. Like other chili peppers, cayenne belongs to the genus Capsicum, a member of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family. Cayenne-and most other hot and sweet peppers grown in the U.S.-is Capsicum annuum, while Capsicum frutescens produces the small, thin-skinned pepper from which Tabasco sauce is made. The name capsicum may have been derived from the Latin capsa for "box" (the pepper is mostly a hollow, box-like fruit), or the Greek kapto, "to bite."
Technically, chili peppers are a fruit, once dried they are correctly considered a spice. An annual, herbaceous plant, the personality of Capsicum annuum depends a great deal on the neighborhood in which it grows up. A hot, dry environment, for example, produces the hottest chilies, while milder ones are produced in cooler, wetter climates. Even the same variety of pepper will differ, depending upon its locale. There are several scales for measuring the hotness of chilies. What they actually measure is the capsaicin content, the crystalline, pungent substance that gives chilies their fire. The most popular scale is the Scoville Organoleptic test, which assigns a number between 0 and 300,000 heat units (the higher the number, the hotter the pepper). Cayenne typically measures between 30,000 and 90,000 heat units on the Scoville scale.
Serving Size: 1/4 tsp | Servings Per Container: 648 |
Amount Per Serving | % Daily Value*** | |
---|---|---|
Calories | 0 | |
Calories from Fat | 0 | |
Total Fat | 0 g | |
Saturated Fat | 0 g | |
Trans Fat | 0 g | |
Cholesterol | 0 mg | |
Sodium | 0 mg | |
Total Carbohydrates | 0 g | |
Warnings: Keep out of reach of children. As with all dietary supplements, consult your healthcare professional before use. See product label for more information.