Mirchi: It’s Getting Chilli, It's Getting Hot

In this episode, our 2Gs, the Gourmands & Geeks, Sadaf and Archit talk about an ingredient that defines Indian cooking in the 21st century: Mirchi. Just because the vegetable vendor hands some for free (just like dhaniya) doesn't mean it's not interesting. They talk:

-Vasco De Gama and the Portuguese connection with chillies

-The evolutionary psychology of why Mirchi makes us feel the heat

-Why we love spicy food even though it hurts and burns us.

-The difference between chilli and Pepper

-The medicinal properties of Mirchi

-How we measure the hotness level of chillies and the hottest chilli of India

So sit back and order some chicken chilli or vindaloo or simply bite into a green chilli while you listen to some hot takes on India’s favourite seasoning.

Important links to geek out more:

Book: The Flavour of Spice by Marryam H. Reshii

(https://amzn.to/3x8pLTv)

Book: Spice: The History of a Temptation by Jack Turner

(https://amzn.to/3gmiHNf)

Book: Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking by Krish Ashok

(https://amzn.to/3fWuy2N)

Video: Red Hot Chili Pepper - The History by Vir Sanghvi

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r6bPu0O5I8)

Video: Top 10 HOTTEST Peppers on Earth!

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLKEM2TRDwQ)

Chillies – The Prime Spice – A History by Dr. Indu Mehta

(https://bit.ly/3i8sQxJ)

How potatoes and chillies conquered Indian cuisine by Anil Paralkar

(https://bit.ly/3vJHjnW)

Chillies: The ingredient that unites India and China by Vikram Doctor

(https://bit.ly/3vDSH4L)

You can follow Sadaf Hussain & Archit Puri on their Instagram handle:

@sadaf_hussain @thehustlingglutton

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

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