Cayenne pepper is a very popular chili pepper cultivar for its high degree of spiciness. Cayenne pepper owes its name to its city of origin, the city of Cayenne, the departmental capital of French Guiana where this cultivar is not only very widespread but is a typical ingredient in many dishes and sauces of the local food and wine tradition. In many countries, Cayenne pepper has become famous thanks to Cayenne pepper .
Cayenne pepper is also used as an herbal ingredient and is mentioned in Nicholas Culpeper’s 17th century Complete Herbal.
Cayenne Pepper Properties
Cayenne pepper is rich in vitamin A, it also contains fair amounts of vitamins B6, E and C. Among its active ingredients and micronutrients we also mention riboflavin, potassium and manganese. For other beneficial properties of cayenne pepper we refer you to the page Hot Pepper, properties .
Growing Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper can be planted anywhere here in Italy. It is a perennial plant in tropical and sub-tropical climates while in our Mediterranean climate it is grown as an annual plant. Cayenne pepper , however, if properly protected from the cold, can withstand the winter and give a new crop during the following summer. To grow cayenne pepper as an annual, it is recommended to carry out appropriate pruning.
Cayenne pepper takes approximately 100 days to ripen , but remember that it is a climacteric fruit , which means that it ripens even after being picked.
As for the degree of spiciness of Cayenne pepper , it is generally rated between 30,000 and 50,000 units on the Scoville scale (to be clear, it is very spicy, but there are also spicier ones, let’s say it is a 3.5 on a scale of 0 to 5) but its spiciness also depends on the amount of sunlight it receives, temperatures and rainfall.
Cayenne peppers prefer rich soil. The plants can grow to about 60 – 120 cm in height so they should be planted about one meter apart and supported by a stake. Even when growing in pots, a support is needed. For all other instructions, please refer to the article how to grow chili peppers .
