Ethiopian Chiles: A Deep-Rooted Tradition

The
VOLUME VII, NUMBER 1, SPRING 1998
Chile Pepper Institute
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http://www.nmsu.edu/-hotchile/index.html
E-mail: hotchile@nmsu-.edu
Ethiopian Chiles: A Deep-Rooted Tradition
by Yayeh Zewdie
It's believed that chile was introduced to
Ethiopia between 1520 to 1770 by the Portuguese. Today, Ethiopians consume chile in
many different forms. The green fruit, locally
lcnown as "karia," is eaten raw as a salad, and
the dried red fruit is ground into powder and
added to a sauce known as "wot." The red
fruit and red powder are known locally as
"berebere." The origin of the words "berebere"
and "karia" is not clearly known.
Eating chiles is a deeply rooted Ethiopian
food habit. Without "berebereIuEthiopian food
is bland. Nutritionally, chiles are rich in vitamins A and C. A large part of the vitamin intake for Ethiopians comes from chiles. The
daily consumption of chile pepper is about 15
grams per person.
In Ethiopia, chile is grown on approximately
246,000 ha, making it the second largest production area in the world. The crop is mainly
cultivated on small patches of farmland. The
average national yield is 400 kg ha-' of dry fruit.
Many types of chile epper, belonging to Capsicum annuum or C.pUtes-,
are grown in the
country. Chile fields are located at a medium
altitude of 1,400 to
I
I
I
2,120 meters above
sea level. The crop
is grown under rainfed conditions in
areas with 600-1,250
mrn of annual rain.
t
"Marko Fana"
and "Bako Local"
I
are the major cultivars grown. Both
i
belong to C. annuum.
These cultivars are
developed through
mass selection and
recommended for
"Marko Fana" chile.
production by the
Ethiopian Institute
of Agricultural Research. The cultivars have
their own distinct characteristics. "Marko Fana"
has conical type fruit that matures to a dark
red color. "Bako Local"has an elongated fruit
shape and the mature fruit is red. The extractable color intensity of "Marko Fana" is greater
than 90,000 International Color Units (ICU).
Because of its high extractable color intensity,
it is the only cultivar used for extrading oleoresin. Although "Bako Local" has low extractable color intensity, its fruit yield is higher
than "Marko Fana".
The small-fruited, bird eye chiles, locally
known as "mitimita" (probably C.frutescens),
are grown around the homestead. They are
highly pungent. There is no lcnown translation
for the word "mitimita."
In addition to domestic use, chile products
are exported to foreign countries. The Spice
Extraction Company of Ethiopia (SECE) extracts oleoresin from dried red fruits of chiles
Continued on page 2.
1
i
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Ethiopian ~hilk,continue8fimpage i.
and exports their commodity to wester&countries. A small proportion of the country's chile,
about 5%of the total production, goes to the
processing plant for oleoresin extraction. Data
of oleoresin production and sales by SECE are
presented in table 1.
Table 1. Production and sales of oleoresin.
Oleoresin
(tom)
Sale
(US $)
106.00
2,898,551
100.70
3,201,014
140.00
5,256,341
127.92
5,243,201
121.12
5,937,923
Source: Ethiopian Ministry of Industry Newsletter, 1991.
Year
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
-..
.
The major factors contributing to low chile
yields are diseases, including viruses, powdery mildew (LRZleillula taurica), and leaf spots
(Xanthomonas campestpis); insects (Heliothis
armigera and Microtermes spp.); poor agronomic practices; and use of poor quality seeds.
Genetic diversity is high within the crop. So
far, 126 chile pepper accessions are locally collected and held by the Plant Genetic Resource
Center for Ethiopia.
Yayeh Zewdie, a doctoral student in New
Mexico State University's agronomy and horticulture department, came to the university in 1995.
After he receives his degree in 1999, he plans to return to his native county of Ethiopia.-
<PI Member Profila+Fred Teague
Fred Teague describes himself as "an old
guy who lives in Palo Alto, Calif., about six
blocks from Stanford University, where I
learned how to learn everything I know." The
semi-retired former management consultant
and entrepreneur stays "semi-unretired by
reporting on deregulation of the electric utility
industry and growing chile peppers. His garden typically sports about 250 Capsicum
plants in approximately 20 varieties.
Teague's first exposure to capsicums was
long before he knew their name. His greatgrandfather arrived in California from Ireland
in 1851and soon began ranching in what is
now the Fresno area. His great-uncle, Charlie,
eventually had a large ranch in Clovis, a town
now adjacent to Fresno. Before World War II,
Teague spent summers on that ranch as a young
The Chile Pepper Institute Newsletter
Rena Larraiiaga, Graphic Designer/Editor
Lilly Dominguez, Conttibuting Editor
Printed at NMSU Agricultural Communications
The Chile Pepper Institute
NMSU. Box 30003. MSC 34, Las Cruces. NM 88003
(505) 646-3028 Errnail: hotchile@nmsu.edu
World Wide Web site:
http:lhvww.nmsu.edul-hotchile/in&x.html
A Non-Profit, International OrganizationDevoted to
the Study of Capsicums
boy, learning to do chores and eat the spicy
foods prepared by the Mexican ranch hands.
He says "it was love at first burn." Teague relays that his uncle Charlie, incidentally, "bought
a lot of alfalfa seed from a vendor in Fresno
named Clarence Davis-the developer of the
Fresno variety of chile peppers and thus a benefactor of mankind rating alongside Thomas
Edison or Benny Goodman."
He says he was "blessed" with a classical
education, explaining that young people in the
'40s and '50s rarely chose their own pedagogical paths. But his background in Latin has
brought him only grief when combined with
his more recent interest in growing chile peppers. He deplores the absence of botanical
scholarship that deprives chile pepper fanciers
of authoritative botanical names for the plants
Paul W. Bosland, Director
Danise Holterman-Cwn, AdministrativeAssistant
Gene Jefferies, McmKnny Co., Avery Island, LA
Javier Vatgas, NMSU, Las Cruces, NM
The Chile Pepper Institute
Board of Directors
New Mexico State University
ex officio Directors
Emma Jean Cerrante.~,Chau,Cervantes Enterprises,
Inc., Vado, NM
Louis Biad, Biad Chile Co., Las Cruces, NM
Paul W. Bosland, NMSU, Las Cruces, NM
Dave DeWitt, Fiery F o d Magazine, Albuquerque,
Dr.Jemy Schickedanz, Interim Dean,College of
NM
Agriculture and &me Economics
Dr. lames Fisher,Interim Depamuent Head, Dept. of
Agronomy and Horticulture
Dr. Gary CunningDirector, Agricultural
Experiment Station
James Faguson, Anthony Foods, Anthony, TX
The W e Pepper Institute Newsletter
they grow. "Every rose has its name, no matter
what Shakespeare said," complains Teague.
"But few botanists since Carolus Linnaeus
have bestirred themselves to write and publish proper Latin diagnoses of varieties within
the species of genus Capsicum-and Linnaeus
wrote his magnum opus in about 1735."
Teague says the most valuable recent book
about chile peppers is last year's Peppers of the
World by Paul Bosland with Dave DeWitt.
"Every pepper in that book should now have
written for it, in botanical Latin, a proper diagnosis. That, in turn, should be published in accordance with the rules of the international societies so that, once accepted, we could have
names for our plants." Teague disregards the
attempts by amateur pepper growers and authors to make up Latin names for peppers.
"They don't play by the rules," he says. "And
there are hard and fast rules when it comes to
naming plants."
Having an academic interest in linguistics,
Teague began an attempt four years ago to
sort out the names of the known chile peppers.
"Every rose has its name...But few
botanists have bestirred themselves
to write and publish proper Latin
diagnoses of varieties within the
species of genus Capsicum."
He gave up the project when he realized that,
among the 430 names he had amassed, there
were perhaps 60 different peppers. And "of
those 60, about a dozen were cayemes," he said.
Teague was born in San Francisco in 1929.
He was educated in diocesan parochial schools
and Stanford, where he received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Teague
was, in his words, "a pretty fair infantry soldier" during the Korean War. He has worked
as a journalist, management consultant, and
artist, and likes to sail sailboats, play the cornet
and trombone, attend ball games, and "hang
out in friendly saloons."w
Mangoes in Indiana?
by Paul Bosland
Chile peppers are referred to by a variety of
common names. One of the more intriguing
words I have found associated with chile peppers is the word "mango."
As we all know, mangoes (Mangrjha indica)
are a tropical fruit. It was on a trip to Indiana
that I first heard this word used for bell peppers. Since that trip, I have found that many
L
a
,
Midwesterners have heard or used "mango"
for bell peppers. I became curious about the
origin of the word and began to search for an
answer to this mystery.
Fortunately, William Smither, a retired
Tulane professor of Spanish and Portuguese,
recently wrote and offered an explanation about
how a tropical fruit became affiliated with Capsicums. He provided the Chile Pepper Institute with a photocopy of pages 498-499 of the
Dictionay ofAmerican Regional English, Volume
III. This dictionary states that a mango is "any
of variety of fruits or vegetables (as a muskmelon, peach, pepper, or cucumber) filled with a
usually highly spiced stuffing and pickled."
In earlier times, ca. 1699, the tropical mango
fruit was known only as a pickled product. In
1- - d806, the Websfer Compendious listed mango as
a "fruit from the E. Indies, pickled." In 1830,
the Frugal Housartife stated that "muskmelons
should be picked for mangoes when they are
green and hard." We can sunnise that "mango"
Continued on page 4.
4
Mangoes
or chiles?
-
4
Volume W, Number 1, Spring 1998
Mangoes in Indiana, continuedfrom page 3.
was first used in the English language for any
fruit or vegetable that was pickled and/ or
stuffed. From that usage, Smither suggested
that "mango" was applied to stuffed bell peppers
and eventually to the bell pepper itself, whether
it was stuffed or not.
Thus, the mystery of the "mango" is solved.
w
a-
Can C:---,r for Year-Round Flavor
by Lisa McKee
Although there's no substitute for fresh green
rings, approved for home caming-no mayonchile, the season for this popular vegetable is
naise or peanut butter jars. Lids should be new.
Nmep reuse a lid, since they do not seal proprelatively short. Most of us, therefore, preserve
green chile for use throughout the year. Canning
erly. Check jars for cracks or chips, and inspect
is a common method for preserving green chile.
lids and gaskets for dents, holes, and gouges.
Home canning of green chile can pose seriUse proper utensils, including ladles, wideous problems if not done properly. Although
mouthed canning funnels, jar lifters, rubber
many people assume that the pungency and
spatulas, hot pads, and clean dish towels. The
acidity associated with green chile are adequate
low-acid nature of green chile requires the
to prevent spoilage problems, chile is a lowproduct to be pressure canned to ensure safety.
acid vegetable because it has a pH well above
For proper canning, use a pressure canner with
the 4.2 value considered safe for water-bath
a locking lid, pressure gauge, vent port, and
canning. Pungency, caused by the capsaicinoid
firm, pliable, well-seated gasket.
To properly can green chile, first remove the
content of the chile, does not protect against
peels, stems, and seeds. If the chile has cooled
microorganisms during canning. Of particular
during peeling, place it in a large pan with just
concern is the microorganism Clostridium botulinum, which produces a toxin responsible for
enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Pack
the hot chile into clean, hot jars. Run a rubber
botulism, a serious illness that may result in
spatula around the inside edge of each jar to redeath. This organism grows mostly when no air
is present, in products with low amounts of acid,
lease bubbles and then add hot liquid to about
1"from the top of the jar. Cap with lids and
and at room temperature-all conditions present
rings that have been placed in boiling water for
in homecanned green chile. The potential for
1minute. Prepare only as many jars as the canharm from imner will hold at
vroverlv canned
green chile was
one time (usually
7). Put 2-3" of hot
emphasized in
water in the botDecember 1997,
tom of the canner.
when jars of
Use a jar lifter to
home-canned
place the jars on
green chile were
the canner rack.
implicated in at
Seal the canner folleast one possible
lowing manufaccase of botulism
in El Paso, Texas.
turer's directions
Home canning
and process for 35
of green chile reminutes using the
quires proper
proper pressure
equipment. Jars
for your altitude.
should be pint or
For dial gauge canhalf-pint Masonners, use 12pounds
type containers
of vresswe at alti-: with screw-on
&$es
of 2,001 to
and
en@y
.
the
- heat all year long.
Can
pyperslike
..+.
these
.
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.--. *:y/=-;--1
I
1
The Chile Pepper Institute Newsletter
4,000 feet; 13 pounds at 4,001 to 6,000 feet; 14
pounds at 6,001 to 8,000 feet; and 15 pounds
of pressure at altitudes of 8,001 to 10,000 feet.
For weighted gauge canners, use 15 pounds of
pressure with the 35 minutes processing time.
After processing, depressurize the canner following manufacturer's directions. Remove the
jars with a jar lifter and set them on a dish towel,
leaving about 1" of space between jars. Cool for
24 hours without moving. When cool, check the
lids for proper seals by pressing on the center of
the lid-lids should not move when pushed. If
the lid moves and makes a metallic popping
sound when pressed, it is not sealed properly.
Place improperly sealed jars in the refrigerator
and use the chile within three days.
Lisa McKee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at New
Mexico State University. W
Question: I tried to germinate chiltepin seeds
from Burpee. After almostfour weeks; nothing. I had
used heat mats and lcept the seed starter mix moist.
Any suggestionsfor this type of pepper? -Skip
Answer: Pepper seed germination, even under the right conditions, can be slow and irregular. Some seeds germinate quickly and
have high percentages, but other exotic varieties have taken up to five weeks to germ even
under perfect conditions. Other factors may influence germ rate as well, including seed dormancy, temperature, irrigation, and preplant
treatments (soaking in water).
Treating the seeds to a bleach soaking may
quicken germination. Soak seeds for 20 minutes
in a 10-percent bleach solution. Rinse well until
there Is b l g d odor.
are probably the only places where you can get
peppers to be perennials-places where there is
no danger of frost all year long. But all peppers
are perennials. We call them C. annuum because
frost kills chile, resulting in the need to replant.
.
2 .
~ u i s t i o n I: bas watching a television show a
couple of years ago about chile peppers and there was
one type that caught my interest. They said this type
of chile pepper is a perennial and comesfrom South
America. Because I live in Michigan, I thought it
would be interesting if1 could grow chile peppers
that came up each year. I don't happen to know the
name of the chile pepper or where I couldfind it. Can
you help?-Mike
Answer: I hate to say this, but all peppers are
perennials if the conditions are favorable. In
other words, southern California and Florida
Question: Can you please explain the meaning of
Scoville Units. I have read conflicting explanations
concerning them. Are they subjective, based on human taste, or the reading of a chromatograph? And
what do the acttllll units stand for?--Gerald
Answer: The Seoville Organoleptic Test is a
refined, systematic approach. In this method,
human subjects taste a chile sample and record
its heat level. Samples are diluted until heat can
no longer be detected by the taster. This dilution is called the Scoville Heat Unit, named for
the man who invented it, Wilbur Scoville.
An HPLC "sees" the heat compounds and
records the amount in parts per million (ppm).
A quick conversion method is to multiply the
ppm by 15 to get the Scoville Heat Units.
Editor's note: "Burning Questions Answered" is
a nau addition to the Chile Pepper Institute Newsletter. These questions have been takenfrom the
many e-mails received by the Institute. Danise Coon
and Paul Bosland has provided the answers. If you
have a "burning question" you'd like answered, just
drop us a note! W
CAPSICUM
Donors Honored by CPI
Members or other individuals who have made donations
to the Chile Pepper Institute
are being honored with 4 x 4
decorated ceramic tiles that
include the donor's name and
home town. The ceramic tiles
will be displayed at the New
Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. The location of
the tiles in the museum is being considered at this time.
For more information on
how to get your own tile, contact Danise Coon at the Chile
Pepper Institute, (505) 6463028.
NM Chile Conference
Highlights
The annual New Mexico
Chile Conference, held in Las
Cruces in February, was host
to more than 400 participants
from throughout the United
States, Mexico, and worldwide. There were 24 exhibitors promoting items such as
food products, seeds, fertilizers, and farm equipment. Paul
Bosland and Javier Vargas,
co-chairs of the conference,
both agreed that it was one of
NEWS
the best-attended conferences,
making it the "largest chile
conference in the world."
"Representatives from various areas of the industry attended the conference. It was
a good place to interact with
the 'who's who' of the chile
industry," Vargas said.
Speakers kept participants
interested with a wide range
of topics, including chile
breeding, future trends in
chile, weed control, nutsedgeroot h o t nematode interaction, economics of chile growing in New Mexico and Chihuahua, insect problems, and
the nutritional quality of chile.
Harold Hobson, secretarytreasurer and spokesman for
the New Mexico Chile Commission, gave a brief history
of the Commission. The commission has donated $80,000
to New Mexico State University, Texas A&M, and private
researchers for plant improvement in long green and cayenne chiles; and meatier pods,
machine harvesting, and increased color intensity in red
pods. NMSU also has received
$4,500 from the commission
for research on how beneficial
bacteria could be used to deter soil diseases.
"Participants were pleased
with the speakers and the format of the conference," Vargas
said. Conference attendance
continues to increase every
year, he added.
7
Surf on In!
The Chile Pepper Institute
web site has a new look!
Danise Coon, CPI administrative assistant, reports that
"new pages have been added
which include information on
pepper statistics and a listing
of new members." She currently is adding information
about the chile exhibit at the
New Mexico Farm and Ranch
Heritage Museum.
The web site is located at
http://www.nmsu.edu/
-hotchile/index.html
Surf on in and see what's
new on the site!
Chile Peppers in Outor
Space?
Chile peppers may soon be
growing in outer space. According to TIE Packer, Cornell
University is conducting experiments to determine which
foods might be grown by astronauts during extended
space missions. Among the
plants being tested are ornamental chile peppers, which
would provide seasoning to
the astronauts' food.
The Chile Pepper Institute Newsletter
.
--
-- -,, s
A
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2
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Green Chik Stew
-- -*
- --
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-
.
This is the beef stew or
macaroni and cheese of New
Mexico-a basic dish with as
many variations as there are
cooks. Add a warmed flour
tortilla and you have a complete meal.
-
-
--
. -.
r
--7
.
--
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6
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Red Alertl
simmer for 1to 2 hours or unti1 the meat is very tender.
Heat Scale: Hot
Serves: 6
Source: The Fiery Foods web
site at http:/fwww.Fery--s.c&
If your address label is red,
this is the last issue of the Chile
Pepper Institute Newsletter
you will receive, unless you
complete the subscription renewal included in this issue
and return it to the Chile Pepper Institute.
Don't let this be your last
newsletter. You might miss
out on some "hot" news!
Capsicum Bibliography
pounds lean pork, cubed
tablespoons vegetable oil
large onion, chopped
cloves garlic, minced
6 to 8 green New Mexican
chiles, roasted, peeled,
seeds and stems removed,
chopped
1large potato, peeled and
diced (optional)
2 tomatoes, peeled and
chopped
3 cups water
Brown the pork in the oil.
Add the onion and garlic, and
saut6 for a couple of minutes.
Combine all the ingredients
in a kettle or crockpot and
After preparing his fifth
edition of the Capsicum bibliography, Paul Bosland wanted
it to be readily accessible to
everyone. He spoke with Carol
Boyse, associate professor, in
the area of Library Systems at
New Mexico State University, who agreed to prepare
an online version of the bibliography. Boyse has found the
appropriate software for preparing the document and expects the bibliography to be
available in the near future.
Renew Your Membership or Join the Institute!
Mennbers receive a me-year s z ~ ~ p t i to
on
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other chile items. Memkxmdplease note that the
*expirationdate of your membership appears on
,'themailing label.
To join the Institute, simple choose a ca-tegcy
'
:
and fill out the form below:
-
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Membership Categories
Non-Commercial Member .................... $25
Professional M&r
........................... $100
Small Business Member .......................$300
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