Earth — Our Shared Home
The story of the chilli
Read the story of how the chilli came to India.
In your book, Our Wondrous World (Chapter 10), the third story is about the chilli, 'a spice that changed our lives'.
Long ago, chilli plants were found only in South America, far away from India. Then, 400 to 500 years ago, travellers from Portugal brought chillies with them from South America to India.
The chillies grew well in their new soil and climate, and they entered Indian kitchens. People in India loved them so much that today we cannot imagine our food without chillies! Before chillies arrived, black pepper was used to spice up our food.
The chilli's journey shows how plants from far-away lands become part of new cultures and cooking. Potatoes, tomatoes, peanuts, cashews and many other foods have similar stories: they also travelled a long way to reach India.
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