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"LE IK" e-mail : hotchile@nmsu.edu

Chile Peppers from Guatemala By Helmer Dagoberto Ayala Vargas

3 Translated by Ariadna Monroy

It is well known that the Mayan culture Capsicum News 6 is one of the most ancient and important

still being used by some tribes in Guatemala today. Like many food coloring agents, chile pepper was used as a pigment for food. Mayans drank hot cocoa with added chile pepper powder, and it is suspected that this - - - -

cultures of the Americas. Crops like corn is why some people like to add chile peppers Burning Questions 7 and beans have always been associated with to their cocoa today.

this culture. However, Mayans used many Chile peppers were a staple in their diet other plant species that were not mentioned and according to some documents, during

Inside This Issue

as frequently as corn and beans, one of the best examples of this is the chile pepper (Capsicum sp.). Even though this plant was often involved in many of the Mayan cultural activities, it was not frequently mentioned.

In Guatemala, (the most prominent home of the Mayan culture), chile pepper is referred to as "le ik," and this Mayan word is still used today. Chile peppers are not frequently mentioned in books, but documents such as the Pop Vuh (Mayan sacred book of creation) mention the plant several times. Several manuscripts written before the 16th century reveal the use of chile pepper as an article of commercial exchange between tribes. These documents also relate how chile pepper was offered to the gods as

Insect Repellents 4 an expression of thanksgiving and as a gift for weddings. Some documents describe

Company Profile 4 other unusual uses for the chile pepper in the Mayan culture. For instance, a punishment

Capsaicin & Cancer 5 for children was to make them inhale the smoke of burning chile peppers and chile pepper paste was applied to the sexual organs of unfaithful women. These practices are

years marked by bad weather when most of the crops did not survive, the Mayan diet consisted of only corn tortillas and chile pepper.

Six different types of chile peppers are mentioned fiequently in documents dating back to the colonial ages: guaque, chocolate, chamborote, barrilillo, pasilla, and chiltepe. These classifications arise from the diversity of fruit shapes. As early as 1930, botanists

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Leik continued

described only three different species of chile peppers wrapped in corn found in Guatemala, marking the first report of chile leaves, and the

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peppers being classified under botanical names. The presentation species were: C. annuum, C. pubescens (introduced is known as from South America), and C. Ji.utesens. Today, at least "mucul- ik." one chile pepper plant is found in every garden of the The powder rural areas of Guatemala. Guatemala is considered a presentation is secondary center of diversity for chile peppers, after called "Coban." Mexico. Recently, chemical composition studies have Cuerudo: also found that chile peppers from Guatemala, especially called arax ik," C. fnrtescens, are more closely related to chiles fiom The ripe chile has Chiltepins Colombia than with chile peppers from other countries a &in, such as Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Mexico. Diente de perro and pico de gallina (dog's tooth

Fresh and dried chile peppers are the most or hen's beak): similar to chiltepe; perhaps the same commonly seen form in the modern markets of species with a different name. Guatemala. Most fresh chile peppers are bell peppers, whereas the dried chiles are usually chiltepe Guaque or Huaque: resembles Capsicum pubescens

(bird chile) and any type of green chile pepper. It is and is used as an ingredient in "Tamal," pepian,

important to mention that chile peppers in Guatemala and plantain mole. Guaque chiles provide a unique

are commercialized based on their morphological particular taste and color to these dishes.

differences instead of their taxonomic clakification. EIabanero: this type of chile Pepper is widely In addition, each commercialized in Guatemala. geogrstphicpgion . Ifuerta chile (garden chile): this chile is commonly of Guatemala found in gardens grown between 1600 and 2000 has a specific meters of altitude. chile pepper Long Chocolate: the immature h i t s are referred to as preference. green chile and ripe fruits are called chocolate chiles.

the most popular It looks like a cayenne and is used for the dish "pache peppers in quetzalteco," This dish is characterized by a large

Guatemala are: green chile pepper. ChambOrOte: this Muco: grown as an ornamental plant, the h i t matures chile is used only to orange. Habaneros for plate decoration

on the first of Nance or Tolito chile: grown on the Pacific coast, it resembles a cherry pepper and is very nungent.

November Saint's The immature fruit of the Its popularity is decreasing in Guatemala because chamborote chile is bright yellow-green in color, and Guatemalans do not like very hot food. is placed in the center of the main dish during dinner. Chiltepe (C. m u m var. ~labriusculum): the wild

Sambo: CornrnercW as dried chile, and used in sauces.

parent of cultivated C. annuum, it grows well in regions ranging from zero to 1300 meters of altitude. Siete caldos de Caballo (Seven soups Or horse

Chiltepe is one of the most important dried chile chile): Also known as "ik-kiej" Capsicum pubescens.

peppers in the market. It is grown between 1600 and 2200 meters of altitude.

Cobanero, Cahabonemo and Colonillo: for planting, White chile: found only in the fresh-chile market, it is

the chile seeds are dispersed over corn residue. similar to Hungarian-type chiles.

Cobanero is the main ingredient of the cobanera food It is important to note that the wild species such as called "kac-ik" (red from chile). In some places, the Capsicum lanceoiatum, C. cilia-, C. rhomboideum Cobanero is commercialized as paste; this paste is and C. viscidiiun have recently been discovered in

Recipe PAGE 3

Guatemala. However, chiltepe, diente de perro, pic0 de gallina, and cobanero are still the most cultivated types throughout the country. The latest studies have reported approximately 2 15 different types of chiles grown in Guatemala, but the influence of worldwide commercial types has displaced wild species and landrace chile peppers. Guatemala's chile peppers are now relegated to arid areas. Some chile peppers are still being planted in gardens as ornamental plants, but most people do not care to maintain these chile peppers because of the lack of profit. Most people are unaware that these wild chiles have an enormous value as a genetic resource. It is possible that some of these chile peppers carry resistant genes against plant disease or pest control, or have medical values yet unknown.

A Guatemalan market place

Helmer Dagoberto Ayala Vargas is at the Sun Carlos University of Guatemala Agronomy Department. Ariadna Monroy is a graduate student in the NMSU Chile Breeding & Genetics Program andfrom Columbia.

RECIPE: Mayan Mystery Cookies Cream the butter and sugar in a food processor. Sift

% CUP (1 % sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature the flour, baking powder, salt, spices and cocoa in a % CUP sugar, plus more for rolling medium bowl and add to the butter mixture. Add the 1 % cups all-purpose flour egg and vanilla and mix until the batter is uniform. 1 % teaspoons baking powder Chill the dough for at least 1 hour. 1 teaspoon salt Using your hands, roll the dough into balls about the 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon width of a quarter and tuck about 5 chocolate morsels 1 % teaspoon finely ground black pepper into the center of each one. Put some sugar on a flat '/4 teaspoon ground allspice % teaspoon cayenne pepper % CUP cocoa 1 large egg 1 % teaspoons pure vanilla extract Semisweet chocolate morsels

date and roll the balls in the I sugar to cover lightly. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and place the balls on the sheets. Bake for 8 minutes, being carehl --' . . not to over bake; the cookies

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should be delicate and soft in the center. Let cool on Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. the cookie sheets.

Store the cookies in an airtight container, separating the layers with wax paper.

The Chile Pcpper Indiute Newsletter Paul Bosland & Danise Coon - Production Chris Coon - EditorlWriter Chile Pepper Institute MSC 3 4 P.O. Box 30003 Las Cruces, NM 88003 (505)646-3028 (505)646-6041 fax http:Ik.chilepepperinstitute.org

The Chile Pepper Institute Board of Directors Paul W. Bosland, Director Danise Coon, Program Coordinator Emma Jean Cervantes, Chair - Cewantes Enterprise Louis Biad - Biad Chile Ed Cuny - Cuny Seed Company Dave DeWitt - Fiery Foods Mag.

Wendy Hamilton - NMSU CES Rich Phillips - NMSU CES Stephanie Walker - NMSU CES John White - NMSU CES New Mexico State University Ex. Officio Directors Lowell Catlett - Dean, CAHE LeRoy Daugherty - AES Greg Mullins - Dept. PES

Capsaicin & Cancer PAGE 5

Pepperworld, continued

successfully transferred to Germany. Harald is also In addition to conducting this "hot" business, the web designer and European editor and writer for Harald and Renate also enjoy cooking, developing Dave DeWitt's website ( fiery-foods.com,) as well new spicy recipes and growing their own chiles. At as for his own Pepperworld site, which is the most any given time, new projects are in the works such complete source of chile and fiery-foods information as the first German chile pepper wall calendar in written in German. Ten years ago, Harald wrote the first 2005, or new book and web projects. comprehensive German chile pepper book. His research for the book eventually triggered the career change from software to fiery foods. #Xfl\M\

Capsaicin Hot Enough to Trigger Suicide in Prostate Cancer Cells Contact: Russell Vanderboom, Ph.D. United States, contains 5,000 to 15,000 Scoville American Association for Cancer ~ese'arch heat units.

Capsaicinoids, the alkaloids that heat up jalapenos As described in their study, the scientists observed , not only cause the tongue to burn, they also drive 1415Lt capsaicin inhibited the activity of NF-kappa- prostate cancer cells to kill themselves, according to beta, a molecular mechanism that participates in studies published in the March 15 issue of Cancer the pathways leading to apoptosis in many cell Research. According to a team of researchers from types. The chile pepper the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute extract also curbed the at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in collaboration growth of prostate cancer ' with colleagues from UCLA, the capsaicinoids cells through regulation cause human prostate cancer cells to undergo of androgen receptors, the programmed cell death or apoptosis. Capsaicin steroid activated proteins induced approximately 80% of prostate cancer cells that control expression of growing in mice to follow the molecular pathways specific growth relating leading to apoptosis. Prostate cancer tumors treated genes. In prostate cancer with capsaicin were about one-fifth the size of tumors cells whose growth is in non-treated mice. dependent on testosterone,

Researchers estimated that the dose of pepper the predominant male sex extract fed orally to the mice was equivalent to steroid, capsaicin reduced giving 400 mg of capsaicin three times a week to a cell proliferation in a . 200 pound man, roughly equivalent to between three dose-dependent manner. and eight fresh habanero peppers - depending on the Prostate cancer cells that Ca~saic inoa shown pepper's capsaicin content. Habaneros are the highest are androgen independent along the placenta of rated chile pepper for capsaicin content according reacted to capsaicin in a the pod. to the Scoville heat index. Habaneros, which are similar manner. Capsaicin native to the Yucatan, typically contain up to 300,000 reduced the amount of androgen receptor that the Scoville heat units. The more popular jalapeno tumor cells produced, but did not interfere with variety from Oaxaca, Mexico, and the southwest normal movement of the receptor.

PAGE 4 Insect Repellents

Chile Peppers for Insect Repellents Jeff Gillman, an associate professor in the Department In a greenhouse setting, commercial formulations

of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota, of capsaicin repelled mites and whiteflies for up to has written a book, touted in the media, after fielding two months. Outdoors, when a capsaicin solution is query after query from gardeners about the value of reapplied regularly, it's quite effective in repelling home-brewed remedies, alternative fertilizers and insect pests and many four-legged critters without least-toxic pest controls. Gillman's results are laid out damaging foliage, including the kaves of young and

in his book, The Truth about Garden Remedies: What tender herbs.

Works, What Doesn't and Why, (2006, Timber Press). Commercial solutions include additives that allow

He uses the latest research to reveal the science the capsaicin to stay on a plant for weeks. Homemade

behind antidotal remedies, explaining in some detail recipes don't last as long and need to be reapplied more which ones are successful and why others are not. often, which can increase

Chile peppers, specifically cayenne peppers, have the risk of burned foliage. 2~ *=* been used in concoctions for over 100 years. It is the Capsaicin has been registered I ' compound called capsaicin that provides the heat. with the EPA for use as The theory holds that if capsaicin feels like fire to a both an insect toxicant and human tongue, other pests such as deer, rodents and repellent, and as an animal unwanted insects should suffer similar consequences repellent for deer, dogs, moles, and stay away from all sprayed plants. rabbits, and squirrels.

Company Profile: Pepperworld Five years ago, Germany's first hot shop, considerably year after year, and no end is in sight to

www.pepperworld.com, opened its virtual doors. that, as more and more people in German-speaking "While running such a shop in Florida back in the Europe are attracted to hot & spicy foods, as well as

late ' ~ O S , we to growing their own chile peppers. The Zoschkes sensed by the many contribute this to their massive public relations efforts, orders we got from as they pioneered this "hot" market on their turf. abroad that things The team of five is selling hundreds of hot & spicy had changed in the products, including hot sauce, salsa, barbecue sauces, (former) 'the land spices, chile pepper seed and chile-related non-food of bland"' said items. And they're always on the lookout for new and Harald Zoschke exciting hot stuff. While many of the products they're of Suncoast offering come from around the globe, the Zoschkes Peppers, owner of find a good deal of their merchandise at the annual peppenvorld.com, Fiery-Foods and Barbecue Show in Albuquerque, New

I literally the hottest Mexico. business in his Harald and his wife Renate operated Suncoast

The Pepperworld Hot Shop Team: home country now. Peppers Inc. for four years in Florida, where they Harald, Renate, Adelinde, Nicky The company created award-winning hot sauces, ran the Peppers on and Vera - The ZochkeS have been managed to grow the Pier hot shop in St. Petersburg, FL, and started the members since 1997. the business "Pepperworld Hot Shop" online, a business they

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CAPSICUM NEWS New Crop of Postal Stamps Produced third harvest at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and

Extension Center, in Bridgeton, NJ. It seems that less The United fruit silvering developed in lines with no

States Postal resistance or tolerance to phytophthora. Service has released new stamp designs featuring crop scenes, including one of chile peppers. The Postal Service issued Crops of the Americas

This suggests that phytophthora-resistance is linked to increased silvering in fruit. Interestingly, silvering was lower when the bell peppers were grown on high- ridged bare soil beds with overhead irrigation as compared to being grown on black plastic mulch with drip irrigation lines. From HortScience issue 40:494.

definitive stamps in five designs, on March 16, in New York. The stamps, designed by Phil Jordan, of Falls Church, Va., went on sale nationwide March 17. Artist Steve Buchanan, of Winsted, Conn.,

'created each of the five stamp designs. As reference, he used slide photographs made by his wife Eta Buchanan's research in the late 1970s on indigenous agricultural methods in the southwestern United States. The crops depicted on the stamps - corn, chile peppers, beans, squashes, and sunflowers - had been cultivated in the Americas for centuries when Europeans first arrived in the New World.

Possible Phytophthora Resistance Found in Bell Peppers

Rutgers University researchers, Dr. C. Andrew Wyenandt and Dr. Wesley L. Kline, have found an association between resistance to the crown and stem rot phase of Phytophthora blight and silvering of the fruit. When the skin separates from the h i t it causes a "silvering" look to the fruit, thus the name. The researchers found that the number and weight of fruit with silvering varied depending on the bell pepper cultivar, harvest date, and location grown. Some bell pepper cultivars had a decreasing amount of silvering in later harvest dates. Fruit with silvering ranged fiom 0% to a high of 92% during the k s t harvest, 1% to 56% during the second harvest, and fiom 5% to 35% during the

Kimchi Headed for the Stars

The May 5 issue of Science reported that scientists at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejeon have cooked up a special kimchi for space travel, which they hope to launch in 2008 when ~orea ' s first astronaut boards the Russian spaceship Soyuz. Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish consisting of fermented chile peppers and cabbage or other vegetables. Working with researchers at the Institute of Biomedical Problems which is a state facility in Russia that conducts biomedical support of space flights, the Korean scientists used gamma and electro-irradiation to sterilize fully fermented kimchi. It was then frozen to a half- dried state and packed in a vacuum- sealed pouch. Byun said the development of kimchi was symbolic, but also that the food is not without merits.

"Space food is now entirely Western food, so we thought it would be meaningful to have a Korean food on the menu," said Byun. "Also, astronauts suffer failing digestive and intestinal functions fiom lack of fiber in space-food diet. Kimchi is abundant in fiber."

Burning Ouestions PAGE 7

BURNING QUESTIONS Q. Aloha, I am here in the Hawaiian Islands, I am an Controlling the pepper weevil is tough. A rigid avid pepper consumer, and I grow about 50 different sanitation and spray program is the best strategy. In peppers for personal consumption. It is now June, temp addition, before bringing chile pepper plants home is 80+ average. Most of my chile peppers, which are check to see that the chile pepper transplants are fruiting, are at this time 'falling' off the plants, I do have decent wind breaks, yet I was cutting them open and noticed blackened insides of the fruits. Is this pepper weevil larvae? If so, how do I get rid of the problem?

A. It is very possible that the pepper weevil is causing the damage. The pepper weevil was first discovered in Hawaii in 1933 on the Oahu island and has since spread to the other islands. It is a severe insect pest of both sweet and hot varieties of chile peppers in Hawaii.

To detect pepper weevil activity look for the pepper weevil adults on the flower buds or use a yellow sticky trap to catch the adults. Thefiuits may also have weevil exit holes (holes where the developed adult weevil exited the fruit). Another indication ofpepper weevil activity is the presence of fallmfruit. Infested buds and blossoms often fallfiom plants. The larvae feed inside the chile pepper pods causing premature JFuit drop. Infestedfruits that do not fall will have blackened seeds and cores, andfilled with frass. Some infested pods prematurely turn red or yellow and may become malformed before dropping to the ground. Mature JFuits are not susceptible to weevil attack because of the properties of the mature fruit epidermis.

fiee of weevils. A thorough in- spection ofpods for deformities or the presence of abortedfiuit could indicate the presence of weevils. There is no known organic/biologi- cal control for pepper weevil at this time, so most garden- ers resort to regular sprays of insecticides. It is important to know that the weevil larva inside the fiuit' cannot be controlled with insecticides, only the adults that come in contact with the insecticide are controlled with sprays, so it is important to spray multiple times.

Capsicum News continued

The group plans to present the kimchi later this year to Russian space authorities, who must approve it as an official food for astronauts. Such approvals are not automatic. In the United States, NASA takes months to analyze potential new space foods, checking nutritional value, conducting a sensory evaluation, and ultimately performing a zero-gravity test on an airplane.

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