Spicy food is a household favourite especially in Asia and thanks to chillies we all get to enjoy that taste. Despite the fact that everyone’s spice tolerance is different, there is a kind of chilli for everyone among the approximately 400 kinds available. One of the tiniest chilli known as the Bird’s Eye Chilli or Mizo chilli is one of them.
Small but hot
Bird’s Eye Chilli is a member of the Capsicum frutescens species, a native to Mexico. They got their name because of their small pointy shape that resembles a bird’s eye when viewed from the end of the stem and it is also believed that they were spread by birds as birds are unaffected by the pepper’s heat.
These peppers are small, measuring about half an inch in length and are red when mature and green when unripe (although they still can be eaten). Despite their small size, they are a whole package from their pungency, fruity, peppery flavour to their extreme heat,that has a range from 50000 to 100000 Scoville heat units on the Scoville scale.
These chillies are ideal for making pastes, pickles,and salsas. Moreover they can also be desiccated and grinded into chilli flakes or powders and added to all kinds of dishes.
These peppers are quite a favourite, and are extensively used in Thai cuisine and many countries like the Philippines, Vietnam. In India they are cultivated in Kerala, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Assam and sections of Tamil Nadu.
A Mizo native of Siaha
These chillies have travelled a long way to reach India’s North East. Today Bird’s Eye Chilli has become a specialty of Mizoram, and is also called Mizo chilli. It is farmed entirely by organic cultivation mainly using the Jhum farming method (slash and burn) and acquired its geographical indication (GI) in 2015 from a small rural district named Siaha.
The production of these chillies have served as a significant contributor in ensuring that the farmers fair compensation for their products which has benefited the economy. The area under chilli cultivation in Mizoram is 11000 ha (2016-17).
But that wasn’t always the case, in fact the farmers from the region used to sell and export it to traders from Silchar and Assam at cheap prices ranging from Rs 50 for a kg of green chillies and Rs 150 for dry chillies. Fortunately, it all changed when the District Magistrate, Bhupesh Chaudhary planned a project to get the infrastructure set up. This resulted in the sale of powdered chilli, which was made possible by the installation of processing and packaging facilities, solar tunnels for drying the chillies, water tanks and store houses.
Now the farmers earn upto Rs 700 for per kg of powdered chilli helping them to earn, 14 times more than they did before. Potash is abundant in these areas which promotes their growth and gives them a vivid red colour. Aizawl district of the state consists of the highest numbers of chilli growers. Zoram Mega Food Park and Mizo Food Processing Industries are some companies that sell these red hot chillies straight from Mizoram.
Not just spicy
Not only do these chillies add spice and flavour to dishes, they have a role in nutrition too.
-These chillies increase the flow of enzymes in the body which helps in improving digestion.
-They accelerate weight loss by burning excessive fat cells.
-These chillies have antifungal properties that can aid in the treatment of infections.
– Bird’s eye chilli is high in Vitamin C which protect against various ailments and boost immunity
– Endorphin is produced inside bird’s eye chillies which aids in hunger stimulation.
– These chillies increase the saliva production which helps in metabolism stimulation.
– VitaminB2 is present in these chillies that helps maintain the vision and also sharpen the eyesights.
– Capsaicin that gives the hot taste also heals joint pains, they also work in favour to relieve strained muscles to avoid seizures. Moreover they are anti-inflammatory which can help cure different inflammatory disorders.
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