Christopher Columbus, who discovered the chili and pepper. At that time, the Indian use of pepper to meet their food, including chocolate.
(Note that the chocolate fashion Aztec is a kind of thick porridge made from cocoa beans, chilli, ginger and honey. The whole is then boiled. There followed a phase in which the preparation is to be whipped Lather. Finally it is paid on a preparation of cooked corn).
Others relate the conquistadors cayenne and other peppers. Later, were Portuguese and Spaniards, who during the colonization of many countries in the Far East and Africa, will bring the chilli in India, the Philippines and then to the entire Far East. Today the Chinese, Indian and Thai among others can not do without spice in many preparations. It is the same in Africa.

It differs from many varieties of peppers. Among them, the Espelette pepper.

The Espelette pepper is the fruit of the genus Capsicum, Solanaceae. It is cultivated in the region of the Basque Country from the sixteenth century in the valley of the Nive, where he enjoys an appellation d’origine contr?lee (AOC) since 1999.
To qualify for this appellation, chili Espelette must be grown in one of these towns: Espelette, A?nhoa, Cambo les Bains, Halsou, Jatxou, Larressorre, Itxassou, Soura?de, Saint Pee sur Nivelle and Ustaritz. (Other criteria are also required).

Espelette pepper was first used to meet certain revenue chocolate, drawing upon the Aztec patterns. (In the seventeenth century, Bayonne was the first city of chocolate in France at the time).
Espelette pepper is moderately strong and is better suited to the Western palate that peppers most exotic from tropical countries.

Sometimes called red gold, chilli Espelette provides jobs to 86 producers and a dozen companies canning and processing. He has won numerous awards in many cooking competitions.

Besides the chili Espelette in its natural form it occurs in many forms, associated with various preparations often very interesting.
Include the chili paste Espelette
Pepper jelly
The bayonnaise which is a kind of chilli mayonnaise
While the chili powder
Sea salt
Cherry cider vinegar and chili Espelette
In brine
Vinegar
Cream

The last weekend of October, the feast of Espelette pepper attracts many curious who come to attend the induction of new members of the famous brotherhood of Espelette pepper.
On this occasion, the farmers presented their production of chilli. The restaurateurs are not standing still and offer dishes made with peppers. During the day takes place the blessing of the harvest of the year in the church Espelette. Follow the induction of personality to the castle and then a concert.

Shea butter comes from the fruit of the shea tree. He is originally from Sudan and grows throughout West Africa.
The shea tree is robust and can reach 20 meters in height. It takes 25 years to produce fruit and reaches full production to 45-50 years. It has a life span of three centuries.

The collection mainly performed by women, is done from May to October. Shea butter does not grow in the wild and has never been “domesticated.” The production is fluid and varies considerably from one region to another, from one year to another. The weather, bush fires, the scattered trees, etc.. are all factors that may limit production. In addition, the collection can be dangerous for women because of the snakes that abound in the locations of trees (large areas of tall grass).

The fruit of the shea tree are used in the diets of local people. It is composed of pulp, a walnut and an almond. It is the latter that contains fat (42 to 48% of whole fruit), shea butter.

For butter, the almond is pressed after heated: to make 1 kg of butter, it takes 4 pounds of almonds. Butter crude thus obtained is then refined to remove impurities and its pesticide for bleaching; to give it a more pleasant odor.

Shea butter has very interesting properties, both in terms of therapeutic and culinary.

It has been used for centuries in Africa.
It is used to treat sprains, colds and sores. It would have a beneficial effect on joint and muscle pain.
Its soothing properties, moisturizing and protective also make a good cosmetic product. He mixed easily with other ingredients of cosmetics.
In Africa, the main product of dress for women and men.
It helps protect the skin against weather and sun (it is an excellent balm against the effects of cold), he fought against cracks, he serves as balm for dry hair, it nourishes the skin diminishing aging. The major cosmetics groups in Europe have understood the virtues of shea and introduce more and more in their products.
Shea butter is used as fuel and detergent in Africa.
Shea is finally used by Africans in their diet: it is sometimes the only fat they have.
It is also for its culinary properties that shea butter is imported into Western countries for making margarine, puff pastry, for example. But is the candy and chocolate that use the most. It is a good substitute for cocoa butter (only taste good but diverges refinery will limit the differences).

The shea virtues exceptional richness for African women. This is a good supplementary income. However, production is mainly traditional, but the African women have organized themselves and created groups (community groups) who aim to pool their resources in order to buy more powerful presses, for example. At the same time, these women are educated and literate.

Thus, shea butter has a significant impact in Africa. It is a bonanza of a business perspective but also social and human development.