Chiltepin-One of the Oldest Species of Capsicum Peppers

Chiltepin: Chiltepin Chiles grow wild in the southwest and Mexico, and are thought to be one of the oldest species of Capsicum peppers. Very high on the Scoville scale (50,000 to 100,000 Scoville units) or an 8 on a scale of 10. Chiltepin grows wild in Texas, is the “Official State Native Pepper of Texas”, and is a favorite in Tex-Mex cooking. The small round “berries” are slightly larger than peppercorns and are bright red or green in color. Because birds don’t feel the “heat” of hot peppers like mammals do they helped spread the seeds across the continent as small berries like Chiltepin are a favorite of many birds. Chiltepin is the ONLY wild chile native to the US and is protected in several national parks. The berries are harvested from wild plants rather than being cultivated, so over-harvesting is a concern as the plant population thins. The peppers are usually sun dried. Because they are native to the US they are exported when harvest quantities allow. Chiltepin bushes produce more pods during wet years, and very little fruit during droughts.

Although very high on a heat scale, Chiltepins are widely used as a remedy for acid indegestion and are said to be very healthful and a general tonic for digestion. The word Chiltepin means “flea chile” in the Aztec language. Also known as the mother of all peppers, they have many uses historically as food and medicine. Their fall harvest in the wild is a seasonal ritual in many rural areas. The bushy plants average 2-4 feet tall and do well in the shade, under “nurse” trees and prefer a rich organic soil and compost. Direct sun and hard frost can harm plants.

Chiltepin Facts:

• Thought to be one of the oldest chile peppers
• Chiltepins grow wild from Peru to the soutwestern US
• The official State Native Pepper of Texas
• Usually sun dried
• Bright red or green when ripe
• Chiltepins are harvested from wild plants by hand, not cultivated
• Small round fruit about the size of peppercorns
• Bushes grow 2-4 feet tall
• 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville units ( 8-10 on a scale of 10 )
• Used as a remedy for acid-indigestion
• AKA: Tepin, Flea Chiles, Bird Peppers

Nutritional data per 100g:

• Alanine – 0.433 g
  
• Arginine – 0.508 g
  
• Ash – 6.60 g
  
• Aspartic acid – 1.512 g
  
• Calcium, Ca – 45 mg
  
• Carbohydrate, by difference – 69.86 g
  
• Carotene, alpha – 994 mcg
  
• Carotene, beta – 14844 mcg
  
• Copper, Cu – 0.228 mg
  
• Cryptoxanthin, beta – 1103 mcg
  
• Cystine – 0.203 g
  
• Energy – 1355 kj
  
• Energy – 324 kcal
  
• Fatty acids, total monounsaturated – 0.468 g
  
• Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated – 3.079 g
  
• Fatty acids, total saturated – 0.813 g
  
• Fiber, total dietary – 28.7 g
  
• Folate, DFE – 51 mcg_DFE
  
• Folate, food – 51 mcg
  
• Folate, total – 51 mcg
  
• Glutamic acid – 1.397 g
  
• Glycine – 0.391 g
  
• Histidine – 0.215 g
  
• Iron, Fe – 6.04 mg
  
• Isoleucine – 0.342 g
  
• Leucine – 0.554 g
  
• Lutein + zeaxanthin – 5494 mcg
  
• Lysine – 0.471 g
  
• Magnesium, Mg – 88 mg
  
• Manganese, Mn – 0.821 mg
  
• Methionine – 0.127 g
  
• Niacin – 8.669 mg
  
• Pantothenic acid – 0.956 mg
  
• Phenylalanine – 0.327 g
  
• Phosphorus, P – 159 mg
  
• Potassium, K – 1870 mg
  
• Proline – 0.460 g
  
• Protein – 10.58 g
  
• Riboflavin – 1.205 mg
  
• Selenium, Se – 3.5 mcg
  
• Serine – 0.425 g
  
• Sodium, Na – 91 mg
  
• Sugars, total – 41.06 g
  
• Thiamin – 0.081 mg
  
• Threonine – 0.389 g
  
• Total lipid (fat) – 5.81 g
  
• Tryptophan – 0.135 g
  
• Tyrosine – 0.220 g
  
• Valine – 0.447 g
  
• Vitamin A, IU – 26488 IU
  
• Vitamin A, RAE – 1324 mcg_RAE
  
• Vitamin B-6 – 0.810 mg
  
• Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid – 31.4 mg
  
• Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) – 3.14 mg
  
• Vitamin K (phylloquinone) – 108.2 mcg
  
• Water – 7.15 g
  

• Zinc, Zn – 1.02 mg

Read More: Chiltepin Grinding Machine