Boshizzle
somebody shut me the fark up.
Chile peppers first came to the North American colonies in Virginia in 1621 when a shipment of potatoes and chile pepper seeds (a variety of cayenne) were received in a shipment of supplies from England. From that time forward, Virginia recipes have included chile peppers in a wide variety of recipes from pepper vinegar to soups, stews, and barbecue.
It is recorded as far back as the mid 1700's that George Washington grew bird peppers (i.e., chile pequin; chiltepin) in his garden. Enslaved people in Virginia used to grow cayenne and fish peppers (African-American heirloom pepper) and use them in their recipes as well.
And, at the end of the 1800's Virginians started using paprika like most of the rest of the country.
With all that in mind I thought that I would try my hand at creating a Virginia Chili powder using only the peppers that have traditionally been used in Virginia cookery and here is the result.
It has a slightly sweet smell, moderate heat, and fresh taste. Some of the peppers in it I grew, dried, and ground myself since I have not found a source for fish or bird pepper powder. It's actually quite tasty. The first recipe I am going to try it in was called by the colonists that observed Virginia Indians making them is an "Indian dainty." Everyone else calls them tamales.
It is recorded as far back as the mid 1700's that George Washington grew bird peppers (i.e., chile pequin; chiltepin) in his garden. Enslaved people in Virginia used to grow cayenne and fish peppers (African-American heirloom pepper) and use them in their recipes as well.
And, at the end of the 1800's Virginians started using paprika like most of the rest of the country.
With all that in mind I thought that I would try my hand at creating a Virginia Chili powder using only the peppers that have traditionally been used in Virginia cookery and here is the result.
It has a slightly sweet smell, moderate heat, and fresh taste. Some of the peppers in it I grew, dried, and ground myself since I have not found a source for fish or bird pepper powder. It's actually quite tasty. The first recipe I am going to try it in was called by the colonists that observed Virginia Indians making them is an "Indian dainty." Everyone else calls them tamales.
I added a little of the Virginia chili powder, salt & pepper and red pepper flakes, diced bacon and some barbecued pork loin for the meat. They were a big hit! The flavor was far better than I could have imagined, actually.
