BBC article on hot peppers

[MendozaMark]

Here is a really interesting article on the history of hot peppers from the BBC.


http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34411492

[Worth1]

I found one part of the article that is wrong.

This part.
"There is only one mammal that enthusiastically eats chillies. "

I have had more than one dog that loved hot food.
My last one a boxer pit mix would eat very hot salsa "Ghost pepper" with me go drink water and come back for more.
He would even eat hot jalapenos right out of the jar and once got in a short fight with another dog over a bowl of sauerkraut
All of my dogs I have had lived a very long life and were healthy.
The vet even told us we did a good job and asked what we fed them.

On a side note I had a dachshund that had a drinking problem.
I didn't give him the stuff on purpose but you better keep it away from him or it would be gone.
One time at a Christmas party he drank my Jack and coke and I had to take him home and put the poor thing to bed.

I have no idea where he picked it up I didn't raise him and was given to me when he was about 2 years old and was raised by folks that didn't drink.
He also liked hot peppers.

Worth

[Cole_Robbie]

I was once so drunk at Busch Gardens that a flamingo came up behind me and drank my beer as I was standing in line. He drooled a bunch of grit into it, so I let him drink the rest of it. I felt bad later, because that probably wasn't good for him, but the more I have thought about it, I really doubt that was the first beer he'd ever pilfered off a drunken tourist. He was a little too good at it, and seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

[Cole_Robbie]

I liked the article. I didn't think of heat as a defense mechanism for the plant from mammals. It's interesting that birds, who spread the seed, don't experience pepper heat.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I was once so drunk at Busch Gardens that a flamingo came up behind me and drank my beer as I was standing in line. He drooled a bunch of grit into it, so I let him drink the rest of it. I felt bad later, because that probably wasn't good for him, but the more I have thought about it, I really doubt that was the first beer he'd ever pilfered off a drunken tourist. He was a little too good at it, and seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

I once had a big white pet goose I hauled around with me, even into the local bar.
I had to pay for my drinks but the goose didn't.
Everyone loved my pet goose.

Worth

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I liked the article. I didn't think of heat as a defense mechanism for the plant from mammals. It's interesting that birds, who spread the seed, don't experience pepper heat.

I'm not buying it completely for some reason I cant explain very well.
To me it falls in the category of mysteries of the earth and life on it.
Many of which at least to me have some pretty lame explanations.
One thing that has amazed me is some plant seeds have to go through a birds gizzard before they will sprout.
I was just reading about one the other day and for the life of me cant remember what it was and is the reason it isn't commercially cultivated.

Worth

[KarenO]

interesting article. Thanks for sharing it. I will share it on my Northern Gardener page too
KarenO