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Topic: Is chili powder available there?  (Read 4277 times)

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Re: Is chili powder available there?
« Reply #15 on: March 24, 2011, 05:41:20 PM »
I think people are talking about the difference between a product being purely ground chilies, and something like this:

"Chilli Powder (Chilli Pepper, Cumin, Salt, Oregano, Garlic, Anti-caking Agent (Silicon Dioxide), Cayenne Pepper (20%)"

(from the label of Schwartz brand Hot Chili powder - which is what we buy)

So yeah, some of the stuff has other things in it - i.e., cumin, salt, oregano & garlic, in the example I've given.  That stuff doesn't really bother me because I'd normally put it in chili and/or Mexican food anyway, more or less.

I would say most of us who cook with chili powder have found a way to cope here.  ;) :)

I do think that some of these products have evolved a bit in the time I've been living here, because I have recollections of them having other (additional) stuff in them previously - when I first moved to England.  I think sometimes they are more geared toward chili powder for Indian style cooking perhaps.  Anyway, I regularly do Tex-Mex & chili with the products widely available here (we like it hot though!) & we are fine with the taste.  :)

I usually use a variety of chili products in the same dish:  chopped fresh chilies, cayenne, chili powder, a blob of chipotle flakes, sometimes regular chili flakes...
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Re: Is chili powder available there?
« Reply #16 on: March 24, 2011, 09:15:20 PM »
Yeah, when I was there finding the 'mix' version of chili powder was harder than just the powdered chilis. And I often didn't like the taste of the packets that you could get, too. Seems like there's  been some improvement though!
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Re: Is chili powder available there?
« Reply #17 on: March 27, 2011, 11:07:10 AM »
Got some chili powder in Asda; Sainbury's also has a great spice aisle, but I prefer Asda prices. :)
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Re: Is chili powder available there?
« Reply #18 on: March 30, 2011, 11:51:27 AM »
Huh, chili powder (or chile powder) can be either ground chili or a mix:

Quote
Chile powder or powdered chili is the ground, dried fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices, when it may be known as chili powder or chili powder blend. It is used as a spice to add piquance and flavor to dishes. In American English the name of the fruit or the pure powder may be spelled "chile" or "chili", and in the blend it is spelled "chili". In British English the spelling "chilli" is used consistently.

Chili powder is sometimes known by the specific type of chili pepper used (such as cayenne pepper). It is used in many different cuisines, including Indian, Tex-Mex, Chinese and Thai.
[edit] Chili powder blend

Chili powder blend or chili powder is a powdered spice mix composed chiefly of chili peppers and blended with other spices including cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and salt.[1][2] Mixes may even include black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, mace, nutmeg, or turmeric.[citation needed] The chilis are most commonly either red peppers or cayenne peppers, which are both of the species Capsicum annuum; many types of hot pepper may be used, including ancho, Jalapeño, New Mexico, and pasilla chilis. As a result of the various different potential additives, the spiciness of any given chili powder is variable.

Chili powder blends are especially popular in American cuisine, where they are the primary flavor ingredient in chili con carne. The first commercial blends of chili powder in the U.S. were created in the 1890s by D.C. Pendery and William Gebhardt for this dish.[3]
from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile_powder

I know I could find it in Tokyo. I couldn't quite find it here in Bangkok, had to buy a HUGE container of this dark stuff that's not quite right but works ok. ( ;D Better than nothing!)

Wikipedia makes me think it was the blend but that seems odd that I would add a blend to other spices for chili, tacos, etc.  ???

Also these two links make me think it's the blend I want too:

http://www.bigoven.com/glossary/Chili%20Powder
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-chili-powder.htm

You learn something new every day.  :D As long as I can get both, that means I can get the one I need and try the other one too. Win-win!   :D Thanks everyone for posting!


We met in Tokyo through friends when we both lived in Japan.

Last year we moved to Thailand, got our first apartment together, got jobs with the same employer (!), didn't end up killing each other, got married, and decided to move to the UK to settle down.

London, here we come!


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