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Chili pepper

Red jungle fowl

Scientists pinpoint the origins of human influence on everything from chickens to chili peppers

Environment

How did the wild red jungle fowl become the modern-day chicken? Why did our human ancestors choose to domesticate this odd bird? When and where did it first happen? And what does any of this have to do with a chili pepper? Scientists are teaming up to answer these questions, with big hopes for impact on the future.

Red jungle fowl

Scientists pinpoint the origins of human influence on everything from chickens to chili peppers

Environment
Chef Barbara Sibley of La Palapa Cocina Mexicana in New York

If you like enchiladas con mole, give thanks to Mexico’s convent kitchens

Arts, Culture & Media
sriracha

Chill folks, your Huy Fong Sriracha is safe

Business, Economics and Jobs

The story of how one hot sauce, Huy Fong Sriracha, got so hot

Arts, Culture & Media

How Insects Influence Plant Evolution

From the spice of the chili pepper to horseradish’s bitter bite, many plant traits are evolutionary adaptations to insects.

Climate Change and Chasing Chile Peppers

On a pepper-tasting and harvesting excursion across the U.S. and Mexico, a chef, an ethnobotanist, and an agroecologist find that our changing climate is altering peppers and affecting the people who pick them.

The World

New spice for Sichuan’s cuisine

Arts, Culture & Media

For our Geo Quiz, we’re on the lookout for a city in southwest China known for its silk, teahouses and traditional spices. We’re talking peppercorns, ginger and chili peppers. But new spices and western-style dishes are starting to appear around town.

The World

Chili recipes to keep you warm in winter

Arts, Culture & Media

As the winter months approach, we take a moment to explore the warm comfort of chili with New York Times food writer, Melissa Clark, and Bryant Terry, author of “Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy and Creative African-American Cuisine.”