Crushed red pepper

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 Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Southeast Asian, Caribbean, and Italian.^[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]

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 BCE.^[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]

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][medical citation needed]} In addition, crushed red pepper contains fiber, capsaicin (the source of the heat in pepper chilis), vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin 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][medical citation needed]} and to help prevent diabetes and constipation.^{[5][medical citation needed]}