If tomatoes changed our tang and potatoes changed our texture, chillies changed our identity.
Before the 1600s, Indian food was spicy—but it was a different kind of spicy.
The heat came from:
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black pepper
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long pepper
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ginger
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mustard
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asafoetida
But these were expensive, limited, and often restricted to elite cooking.
The chilli would change all that.
THE ORIGINS OF THE CHILLI: MEXICO
Chillies were domesticated in Mexico at least 6000 years ago.
Aztecs and Mayans used them in everything—including early versions of hot chocolate.
Europeans encountered chillies after Columbus reached the Caribbean in 1492.
Ironically, Columbus wanted Indian pepper, not Mexican chilli.
But fate had other plans.
THE CHILLI’S FIRST STOP IN ASIA? GOA.
The Portuguese carried chillies along their oceanic empire:
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Brazil
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Africa
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Goa
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Malacca
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Macau
They were amazed that chillies grew effortlessly in tropical climates.
By the 1600s, Portuguese missionaries had spread chilli seeds across South India.
The Konkan coast, with its humidity and rich soil, helped chillies blossom.
HOW CHILLIES CONQUERED INDIA IN JUST 100 YEARS
1. They were cheap and easy to cultivate
Pepper plants needed plantations and time.
Chillies grew in small gardens.
2. They fit the Indian cooking method perfectly
Indian food uses oil, which extracts chilli heat extremely well.
Europe boiled chilli in soups—it tasted watery.
India fried chilli in ghee—it turned explosive.
3. They were ideal for pickles and preservation
Dried chillies stored better than pepper.
4. They became vital for monsoon cuisines
Regions like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra relied heavily on preserved ingredients.
The Game-Changing Anecdote: How Kolhapur Became a Chilli Capital
A Portuguese horticulturalist in the 1600s introduced a fiery Mexican variety to Kolhapur farmers.
It thrived so spectacularly that it became the base for:
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Kolhapuri masala
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Thecha
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Tambda rassa
Even today, “Lavangi mirchi” from Kolhapur has near-legendary status.
Regional Chilli Identities Emerge
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Kashmir → Mild, vibrant red, colour-rich
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Guntur → Among the world’s hottest cultivated chillies
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Byadagi → Fragrant, oily, deep red
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Mathania (Rajasthan) → Intense aroma
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Bird’s Eye (North East) → Natural spice bomb
Each region used chilli differently—partly due to local cuisine, partly due to agriculture.
DID CHILLIES DESTROY PEPPER’S ECONOMY?
Not fully—but they democratized heat.
Once chillies became cheap:
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Pepper shifted to exports
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Chilli became the domestic staple
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Even poor households could afford “spice”
Indian cooks, always seeking balance and boldness, embraced chilli like an old friend.
BY THE 1700s, CHILLI WAS ESSENTIAL TO INDIAN IDENTITY
Travellers wrote about India’s “flaming curries.”
British soldiers complained that even vegetarian food “burns terribly.”
Mughal cooks adopted chilli into biryanis and kebabs.
Today: India is the world’s largest chilli consumer & producer
In a twist of fate, chilli—born in Mexico—became the heart of Indian cooking.
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