Cayenne pepper is a very hot red powder used to flavour dishes; its name comes from the city of Cayenne in French Guiana. The powder comes from the fruit of several cultivated varieties of the Capsicum baccatum and Capsicum frutescens species of the nightshade family (Solanaceae).

The fruits are either dried and ground, or pulped and baked into cakes, which are then ground and sifted to make the powder.

Cayenne is used in cooking spicy hot dishes: see the chilli article. Cayenne is generally rated at 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Units.

The name is derived from the Tupi word kyinha, literally "hot pepper".

It is also used as an herbal supplement, and was mentioned by Nicholas Culpeper in his Complete Herbal.

See also

• Pepper
• Sialagogue