Let’s clear up a misunderstanding: Cayenne pepper is not a pepper, as we often hear it said, but a pepper of the capsicum family. Its name comes from the town of Cayenne, located in French Guyana.

Cayenne pepper has no particular taste but once in the mouth it is particularly ruthless; one should not rub oneself against it. In fact, on the Scoville scale, it is at 8, which is rather high and probably explains why it is often used as a repellent in liquid form.

In the kitchen, it is of course used to spice up sauces, soups and other liquid preparations as well as meat and fish. It is found in many spice blends to give them a little body.