FOOD FOR Thought

All about food

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Picking Peppers

PEPPERS, ESPECIALLY CHILIS, are at the center of dishes around the world, from China and India to Ghana and Uganda to Spain and Italy and, of course, to Mexico, where they originated. In fact, all peppers emanated from the Americas, but courtesy of Columbus's travels between the New World and Spain in the 1500s—and then Portuguese explorers' bringing them from Brazil to India—they spread far and wide. Today, these colorful, flavorful vegetables are so deeply incorporated into global cuisines that it's hard to imagine what these chili-centric food traditions might have been like pre-pepper.