Chili¹ peppers may have been used to make spicy² beverages³ thousands of years ago in Mexico, according to new research published November 13 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Terry Powis at Kennesaw State University and colleagues from other institutions. Capsicum species are usually referred to as chili peppers, and their uses are well known in the history of Spain and Portugal. There are relatively⁴ few sites in Mesoamerica, Central America, and South America that contain remains⁵ of Capsicum, and therefore, we know little about how groups such as the Mayans and the Mixe-Zoquean, inhabitants of the site studied here, used chili peppers in those regions.

 

In this study, the authors used chemical extractions to reveal the presence of Capsicum residues⁷ in pottery⁸ samples from a site in southern Mexico. Some of these pottery vessels¹⁰ were over 2000 years old, dating from 400 BC to 300 AD.

 

They found Capsicum residue⁶ in multiple types of jars and vessels, which suggests that those cultures may have been using chili peppers for many different culinary（烹调用的） purposes. For instance, Capsicum was found in a vessel⁹ called a sprouted¹¹ jar, which is used for pouring a liquid into another container. The authors suggest that chili peppers may have been used to prepare spicy beverages or dining condiments¹². Powis elaborates, "The significance of our study is that it is the first of its kind to detect ancient chili pepper residues from early Mixe-Zoquean pottery in Mexico. While our findings of Capsicum species in these Preclassic pots provides the earliest evidence of chili consumption in well-dated Mesoamerican archaeological contexts, we believe our scientific study opens the door for further collaborative research into how the pepper may have been used either from a culinary, pharmaceutical¹³, or ritual perspective during the last few centuries before the time of Christ."

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