The
Cayenne chili pepper used both as a flavouring and
for
medicinal purposes. Named after the city of Cayenne in French Guiana,
it is a cultivar of Capsicum annuum related to bell peppers, jalapenos,
amongst others.
The fruits are generally dried and
ground, or
pulped and baked into cakes, which are then finely ground and sifted to
make the famous chili powder known as cayenne pepper.
Cayenne
chili powder is used in cooking spicy hot dishes or occasionally in
it's whole form (such as in Szechuan
cuisine) It is generally rated at
30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Units.
It
is also used as a herbal supplement and the potent, hot fruit of
cayenne has been used as medicine for centuries. It has been used for
the following problems:
Gastrointestinal tract:
including stomachaches, cramping pains, and gas. Diseases of the circulatory
system: It is still traditionally used in herbal medicine as a
circulatory tonic. Rheumatic and arthritic
pains: Rubbed on the skin it causes a
counterirritant effect. A counterirritant is something which causes
irritation to the area to which it is applied. This makes it distract
the nerves from the original irritation (such as joint pain in the case
of arthritis). Sore throat: If gargled with
water it can work as an effective treatment for sore throats. Styptic: Application of
cayenne powder has traditionally been considered to have a powerful
coagulating ability.
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