Cayenne Powder

A powder made from dried red cayenne chiles. Cayenne is orange red to dark red, depending on whether the chiles it was made from were smoked or air dried. It adds heat to a dish and is sometimes referred to in the Subcontinent as chile powder. Cayenne is available in any grocery store. You can also make your own by grinding dried red chiles. Store cayenne in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark place and use sparingly until you know exactly how hot your particular batch is. See also chiles.