In An Anarchy Of Chillies, Ms Caz Hilderbrand explains how peppers can spice up your cooking.

Do you scoff at those who order a korma or opt for the mango and lime marinade at Nando’s? Do you have hot sauce in your bag? If so, this chilli compendium is made for you. An Anarchy Of Chillies by Ms Caz Hilderbrand is a beautifully illustrated ode to the hot stuff and features 100 varieties, from sweet friggitello (or pepperoncini) to the brutal Cumbria-grown Naga Viper, which is so blisteringly hot it requires eye protection and gloves to handle. As well as detailing each species’ provenance, on every page there are tips for growing your own, as well as a few suggestions for how to use chillies in your cooking. The peppers are compiled in order of their Scoville heat-unit (SHU) rating, which signifies how hot and spicy they are. “Chillies are hot because they contain capsaicin, an alkaloid found in the pepper’s flesh,” writes Ms Hildebrand. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the seeds that add the biggest burn, but the white ribs that hold them.

Chillis have been a popular ingredient in food ever since Mr Christopher Columbus brought them to Europe from the Caribbean in the late 15th century, but they have become a sort of edible signifier of strength, the conception being that the hotter you can handle, the “harder” you might be. But Ms Hildebrand doesn’t believe it’s the endurance of pain that people are after. “I do wonder if the thing really craved is the absence of pain after the chilli. Chillies engage our desire not only for survival, but also for rejuvenation.” Either way, they certainly pep up a meal, and below we highlight three delicious chillies from around the world, along with their characterful illustrations.

France Scoville scale: 3,000-6,000

Chillies are now grown everywhere from Kashmir to Dorset, but this particular variety hails from France and has its own festival, which has been running for 50 years. The Espelette Pepper Festival (Fête du Piment) celebrates the pepper harvest and the small, dried red chillies are strung in garlands and eaten in traditional dishes as a sort of Basque paprika. The flavour is well suited to curing ham or as a spice in homemade sausages, but you’re best leaving the growing to the locals – espellete peppers have appellation d’origine contrôlée protected status in France, and part of the unique flavour is down to the terroir.

Mexico Scoville scale: 3,000-10,000

You’ve probably eaten the former as a nacho topping and visited the latter chain for some Mexican fast food, but did you know that jalapeños and chipotles were the same pepper? Probably not. The thick-skinned peppers are jalapeños in their green youth, although there are also red varieties. They originate in the Mexican city of Xalapa (or Jalapa) and are perfect for salsas, stuffing with soft cheeses and spicing up tortilla dishes. Once they are fully matured on the vine they turn a vibrant red, and when these peppers are dried and smoked they are called chipotles. Ms Hildebrand suggests picking up a can of them in spicy adobo sauce for serving with grilled meat or using them to make your own fermented Sriracha-style concoction.

Syria Scoville scale: 8,000-12,000

If you’re a fan of Mr Yotam Ottolenghi’s cooking, you’ll probably be familiar with Aleppo peppers, which are used frequently, often as dried flakes, in Middle Eastern dishes such as shakshuka (baked eggs) and in Levantine creamy dips. The peppers are native to Syria, but due to conflicts that have ravaged the country, many farmers have been displaced, which has resulted in the Aleppo chilli being added to the Slow Food Foundation For Biodiversity’s list of at-risk foods. They are now also grown in the US. The pepper in its dried form has rather more impact than your average chilli flake due to its flavour profile, described by Ms Hildebrand as “robust and fruity, with a hint of cumin that tickles the back of the throat”. Use it to add depth of flavour to stews or sprinkle on salads for a tasty kick.

An Anarchy Of Chillies by Ms Caz Hilderbrand is out now (Thames & Hudson, £16.95)

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