Peruvian Cure for Alzheimers

The Peruvians have a saying...
If a person with Alzheimers will eat the rocoto pepper, they will remember where and when they ate it the next day!
I tasted the rocoto last night in my Peruvian vegetable and fruit curry. This pepper registers 200,000 - 300,000 scoville units....it is HOT!
The rocoto is one amazing pepper. It has thick walls like a bell pepper, but is very hot...similar to a habanero. It has been cultivated in Bolivia and Peru for thousands of years. Rocoto (aka Locoto in Bolivia) is Capsicum pubescens (hairy pepper). It is amongst the oldest of domesticated peppers.

It is said that the burning sensation from capsaicin is addictive.
The reason is that during the eating of chiles, a chemical in the chile pepper called Capsaicin, irritates the trigeminal cells. These are pain receptor cells located throughout the mouth, the nose and the throat. When your body's nerves feel the pain induced by the chemical on these cells, they immediately start to transmit pain messages to your brain. Your brain receives these signals and responds by automatically releasing endorphins (the body's natural painkiller). These endorphins kick in and act as a painkiller and at the same time, create a temporary feeling of euphoria, giving the chile pepper eater, a natural high. As some may know by tasting several jalapenos, this heat level can vary from pod to pod, as the result of growth condition and genetics. Each pod has its own "personality".
I would like to try the rocoto relleno...but I am afraid of the "mañana" !

The rocoto is also the only pepper in the world that will grow in a cold climate. It has black seeds instead of white...unlike all other peppers.

Enjoy!