Tabasco chiles (Capsicum frutescens)

The tabasco pepper named after a state in southeast Mexico, is a variety of hot pepper whose name has come associated with a popular hot sauce.

Today is flourishes in New Iberia, Louisiana – home of the famous Tabasco sauce manufacturer McIlhenny Company.

Capsicum species, Capsicum frutescens, the one to which Tabasco pepper belongs is native to the Caribbean, along with Florida and the northern edge of South America.

The genus capsicum is believed to be derived from the Greek capsicon via the Latin kaptein, meaning to bite, apparently in reference to the fruits’ pungency and the name bell pepper coming from the Latin capsa, meaning boxlike.

There is evidence that chiles were eaten by native peoples in Mexico it was part of human diet as early as 7500 BC. The chiles started to be cultivated between 5200 and 3400 BC by Native Americans.

It has been said that during Columbus’ first expedition (1942-1493) he observed people seing colorful red fruits with much of their foods.

The use of Capsicum quickly spread once it was introduced in Europe.

By end of the seventeenth century, Capsicum frutescens was being grown in most of the warmer regions of the world.

Capsicum frutescens has many cultivars, including Piri piri, Brazilian Malagueta pepper, Tabasco pepper and Thai pepper. The most popular generic name for members of Capsicum frutescens is ‘bird pepper’.
Tabasco chiles (Capsicum frutescens)