Chili Powder

spice · peppers · cooking

Dried peppers crushed. Chili powder starts as fresh chili peppers that are dried out completely, then ground into a fine powder. Different types of chili peppers create different flavors and heat levels.

Makes food spicy hot. The heat in chili powder comes from a compound called capsaicin, which tricks your taste buds into feeling like your mouth is on fire. Everyone has a different tolerance for how spicy they like their food.

Used worldwide. Cooks around the globe sprinkle chili powder into curries, stews, tacos, and soups to make their dishes more flavorful and exciting. It has been used in cooking for thousands of years.

American vs. British spelling. In the United States, people spell it 'chili powder,' but in Britain and many other countries, they spell it 'chilli powder.' Both spellings mean exactly the same thing.

Sometimes mixed with spices. Pure chili powder is just ground peppers, but some blends add other spices like cumin, garlic, or salt to create special flavor combinations.