Spices and kitchen herbs · spice

Chili Pepper (Capsicum) (Pilipili kali (hot chili); pilipili hoho (sweet/bell pepper))

In the kitchen

A Kenyan kitchen staple: fresh or dried pilipili kali (bird's-eye/African chilies) is chopped into stews, kachumbari, nyama choma marinades and pilipili ho ho sauces, while the milder pilipili hoho (bell/capsicum) is sliced into stir-fries and mixed vegetables. On keto it is fried in ghee, coconut or avocado oil, or blended into chili-oil and butter sauces that carry fat and flavour without added sugar.

Traditionally used for

Traditionally used to warm the body, stimulate appetite and aid digestion, and taken in food or drinks to help clear a blocked nose and ease coughs and colds. Topical capsaicin preparations are traditionally rubbed on sore muscles and aching joints to bring warmth and distract from pain.

On keto

Hot chilies are essentially zero-carb in the small amounts used, and even sweet pilipili hoho is low-carb (roughly 3-4 g net carbs per 100 g), so both fit keto easily and pair naturally with high-fat cooking.

Good to know. Capsaicin can trigger or worsen acid reflux/GERD, gastritis and ulcers, and irritate haemorrhoids or IBS symptoms. Handle with care: it burns skin, eyes and mucous membranes, so wash hands after chopping. Concentrated capsaicin may mildly lower blood pressure and blood sugar and has a theoretical additive effect with blood-pressure, diabetes and blood-thinning (anticoagulant/antiplatelet) medicines, so watch for it if you take these. It can also aggravate the dry cough caused by ACE-inhibitor blood-pressure drugs (e.g. enalapril, lisinopril). Normal food amounts are fine in pregnancy, but avoid high-dose chili or capsaicin supplements. Stop if it causes stomach pain.

Sources

General information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional before changing how you eat, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or taking medication.