Cayenne pepper
The cayenne pepper is a type of Capsicum annuum. It is usually a moderately hot chili pepper used to flavor dishes. Cayenne peppers are a group of tapering, 10 to 25 cm long, generally skinny, mostly red-colored peppers, often with a curved tip and somewhat rippled skin, which hang from the bush as opposed to growing upright. Most varieties are generally rated at 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units.
| Cayenne pepper | |
|---|---|
| Genus | Capsicum |
| Species | C. annuum |
| Cultivar | Cayenne |
| Heat | Hot |
| Scoville scale | 30,000–50,000 SHU |
The fruits are generally dried and ground to make the powdered spice of the same name, although cayenne powder may be a blend of different types of peppers, quite often not containing cayenne peppers, and may or may not contain the seeds.
Cayenne is used in cooking spicy dishes either as a powder or in its whole form. It is also used as an herbal supplement.