A History of Agriculture in India v2.c72.s21: Chillies

v2.c72.s21.1

No account of plants introduced by the Portuguese into India can be regarded as complete without mentioning chillies. They are the ornament of Indian gardens, and an insurance for domestic happiness. A good housewife must know their proper use. They flavour our *kormas*, *kababs*, *pulaos* and vegetables. They are the souls of our pickles and chutneys. To imagine that they are not Indian would be regarded as a sacrilege. They vary in size from a pea to a pear. The smaller their size, the sharper and more pungent they are. It is not without reason that the small ones are called atom bombs. The original home of *Capsicum annuum* is probably Brazil or Peru, and it was introduced by the Portuguese into India in the sixteenth century. India produces about 340,000 tonnes of chillies from about 6 million hectares. Andhra Pradesh in South India is well-known for its chillies, and the curries and pickles of Andhra Pradesh are the hottest in the world. If you eat their pickles and survive, it is an act of valour.