Crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes is a condiment or spice^[1] consisting of dried and crushed (as opposed to ground) red chili peppers. This condiment is most often produced from cayenne-type peppers, although commercial producers may use a variety of different cultivars, usually within the 30,000–50,000 Scoville unit range.^[2] Often there is a high ratio of seeds, which are erroneously believed to contain the most heat.^[3] Crushed red pepper is used by food manufacturers in pickling blends, chowders, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, soups and sausage.

Crushed red pepper in Turkey, served as a common condiment with very few seeds, is known as pul biber. One specially prepared variety of it is the urfa pul biber (isot).

Background[edit]

Crushed red pepper, known for its spicy heat, comes from a range of capsicum peppers.^[4] Red pepper chilis originally start off green before ripening into an orange-red to deep dark red color and are best grown in the summer months—between 70–84 °F (21–29 °C) and sunny weather.^[4] One or multiple red chili peppers—up to four cultivars—can be used to create crushed red pepper.^[5] Jalapeños, serranos and Anaheim chilis are some of the most commonly used chilies to make crushed red pepper.^[5] Crushed red pepper is frequently found in a variety of dishes including Italian, Indian, Mexican and Caribbean.^[4]

Over time, crushed red pepper loses its spiciness level and typically lasts up to 12 to 18 months.^[6] Today, China and Turkey are among the top countries to produce crushed red pepper.^[5]

History[edit]

Red chili peppers, which are a part of the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, were first found in Central and South America and have been harvested for use since about 7,500 BC.^[4] Spanish explorers were introduced to the pepper while on a search for black pepper.^[4] Once brought back to Europe, the red peppers were traded in Asian countries and were enjoyed primarily by Indian cooks.^[4] The village of Bukovo, North Macedonia, is often credited with the creation of crushed red pepper.^[5] The name of the village—or a derivative of it—is now used as a name for crushed red pepper in general in many Southeast European languages: буковска пипер/буковец, bukovska piper/bukovec (Macedonian), bukovka (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene) and μπούκοβο, boukovo, búkovo (Greek).

Southern Italians popularized crushed red pepper beginning in the 19th century and heavily used them in the U.S. when they migrated over.^[5] Crushed red pepper was served with dishes at some of the oldest Italian restaurants in the U.S.^[5] Crushed red pepper shakers have become a standard on tables at Mediterranean restaurants—and especially pizzerias—around the world.^[7]

Health benefits[edit]

The source of bright red color that the peppers hold comes from carotenoids.^[8] Crushed red pepper also has antioxidants that are thought to help fight off heart disease and cancer.^[8] In addition, crushed red pepper contains fiber, capsaicin—the source of the heat in pepper chilis—and vitamins A, C, and B₆.^[5] Capsaicin is believed to help kill off prostate cancer cells, to serve as an appetite suppressant which can contribute to weight loss, to improve digestion,^[8] and to help prevent diabetes and constipation.^[5]

References[edit]