Which is right: “Chile” “chili” “chilli” “chilis” “chiles” or “chilies”?
In modern American English both chili and chile are accepted spellings, but if you want to demonstrate your lexicological prowess to your buddies here’s the real deal:
Both “Ghost Chile” or “Ghost Chili” would be correct…but you wouldn’t be talking about the same thing.
Ghost chile would be the correct term for the spicy pepper. The original Spanish word is chile (as in chile relleno). Don’t believe your word processor when it insists chile must always be capitalized…it’s thinking about the country. “Chiles” would likely be the most correct plural…but everyone seems to use “chilies” most often.
“Chili” on the other hand probably dates back to the introduction of chili con carne (i.e. a bowl of chili). Thus, “ghost chili” could refer either to a super spicy bowl of chili made with ghost peppers, or an ethereal being conjured from the nether realm, rattling ectoplasmic chains as part of some fantastic foodie version of “A Christmas Carol.”
But when you grind those chiles into powder they become “chili powder” NOT “chile powder.” I assume this is because blending ground chiles was introduced to the wider US as part of chili con carne.
There are your answers …unless you’re in Europe, in which case I recommend using “chilli” and “chillis” no matter how odd those double l’s look.
Comments 1
This post made me chuckle as I was just writing a post on my blog in regards to the chiles I had received. I kept going back and forth on how to spell! Thanks again for the samples and I will be trying out some new recipes soon!