Know your Cayenne Pepper

The cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum), also known as the Guinea spice, Cow Horn Pepper, aleva or bird pepper or, especially in its powdered form, red pepper -- is a hot, red chili pepper used to flavour dishes and for medicinal purposes.

Named for the city of Cayenne in French Guiana, it is a cultivar of Capsicum annuum and is related to bell peppers, jalapeños, and others.

The Capsicum genus is in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), which includes tomatoes and potatoes.

The fruits are generally dried and ground, or pulped and baked into cakes, which are then ground and sifted to make the powdered spice known as cayenne pepper.

Cayenne is used in cooking spicy dishes, as a powder or in its whole form (such as inSichuan cuisine) or in a thin, vinegar-based sauce.

It is generally rated at 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Units.

Additionally, this pepper has been used in natural medicines for hundreds of years due to reported healing attributes.